A Time for Wild Horses
by Jose Argao
Summary: A crossover between Ranma, Ah! Megamisama, and Sailormoon. I use plain text files, which the site messes up. For better reading, check out my homepage.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. I'm not   
making any profit from doing this either. My entire net worth is just   
a little more than three cents. You decide if you want to sue or not.  
  
Warning: Cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"   
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses prologue  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
  
"Shi Shi Hokodan!!!"   
  
Ranma heard the cry and dodged left just in time to avoid the  
huge ball of ki aimed at him. He had barely landed when a bokken   
whizzed by the side of his head, his martial artist's instinct the only  
thing saving him from a concussion. He grabbed the weapon before it  
could be retracted and used the leverage to hurl the swordsman over his   
shoulder.   
  
'That's Kuno down and two more to go,' Ranma thought.  
  
"Die!"  
  
With skills honed through much training, Ranma carefully   
avoided each of the assorted blades headed his way and jumped high into  
the air, preparing to kick Mousse on the head. He never noticed the  
bandanna hurtling through the air aimed right at him. At least, not   
until he felt the burning pain in his right leg.   
  
"Forgot about Ryoga..." Ranma twisted his body in mid air and  
landed behind Mousse. Willing himself to ignore the pain in his foot,  
he grabbed Mousse before the chains connecting him to his projectiles   
could retract and pulled him between his body and Ryoga's umbrella,  
which was now headed directly for him.  
  
"Wha?" the optically challenged martial artist barely had time  
to summon a blade from the depths of his robes and bring it up in an  
attempt to deflect the spinning projectile. He was partially successful  
in that the umbrella hit cold steel with a loud clang and continued   
its flight in a different direction.   
  
However, the force of the umbrella was sufficient to cause the  
blade to rebound in the opposite direction, hitting Mousse on the head  
and promptly knocking him unconscious.  
  
'Two down,' Ranma thought to himself. 'Now for the hard part.'  
  
Although he would never admit it to anyone, Ranma regarded   
Ryoga with a great deal of respect as far as martial arts ability was  
concerned. He may have had a brain the size of a peanut, and he may  
have been able to get lost looking for the bathroom of his own house,  
but he was one hell of a fighter. With his leg constantly reminding  
him of his injury, he wasn't so sure he'd be able to get out of this  
in one piece. Ranma took a moment to reflect on how unfair life was to  
him.  
  
"How dare you use one of my own attacks to defeat my allies!  
You shall pay dearly for this!"   
  
Ranma's train of thought was derailed as he realized that Ryoga  
was now headed towards him at great speed. The battle had already taken  
it's toll on him, and he was just about exhausted. With his right leg  
bleeding profusely and refusing to move as he wanted it, he figured his  
chances of winning as slim to none. Ignoring the pain, he started   
dodging rapidly as Ryoga started his assault.  
  
"You may have defeated Kuno and Mousse, but you won't defeat  
me!" Ryoga lunged with an open-palmed strike to Ranma's neck that he   
narrowly avoided. He was losing and he knew it. Ryoga knew it. The   
fight had become a battle of endurance and if there was one thing Ryoga  
knew how to do, it was to endure.  
  
Ranma ducked a punch, his leg sending his brain signals of   
searing pain. His body was about to give out, and he was running out of  
energy. He had to buy time. Gritting his teeth at the pain, he vaulted   
fifteen feet behind him and shouted at the top of his lungs.  
  
"Since when have you been friends with Kuno anyway, P-Chan?  
What's the matter? Have you finally realized that you can't beat me   
by yourself?" Ranma smirked at Ryoga, trying to hide the fact that he  
felt like he weighed a thousand tons.  
  
"Shut up, Ranma! I only agreed to help Kuno because you're   
always cheating at our matches! It's only fair that I have help since  
you're always using underhanded tactics to win!" Ryoga closed the gap  
between them and renewed his attack.   
  
Ranma smiled inwardly. His taunt had its desired effect on   
Ryoga, making him too angry to be careful. Ranma recognized all the   
symptoms. Ryoga was now in a rage, striking with little or no thought  
in coordinating his attacks. He knew Ranma was tired, and figured that   
sooner or later one of his attacks would hit. Given his current state,   
Ranma wouldn't be able to mount an offensive anyway. Suddenly, Ranma  
was absolutely sure that he would come out of this fight the victor.  
  
"Mouko Takabisha!" Ryoga stared unbelieving as Ranma released  
a huge ball of ki aimed straight at him. It was impossible, Ranma was  
already too tired to fight and his injuries had weakened him even  
further. He shouldn't be able to muster any confidence to fuel his   
attack at all, much less enough to generate the blast now headed   
towards him.   
  
Ryoga tried dodging Ranma's attack, but his momentum made it   
impossible to avoid. It was the last thing he saw before the world  
went dark around him.  
  
Ranma stood and surveyed the damage around him. Limping   
slightly, he went over to his fallen opponents and checked them for  
major injuries. It looked like they would all recover, but none of   
them would be fighting anytime soon. Finally, he allowed himself to  
fall limply to his knees. Once again, he emerged from a battle the   
victor. A little worse for wear maybe, but victorious nonetheless.  
  
And he hadn't even gotten to school yet.  
  
Ranma sighed, remembering that Akane and Nabiki had gone ahead  
to school when the fight started. It looked like he would have to wait  
for Ukyo to get him to school. Knowing his luck, Shampoo would   
probably get to him first and drag him off on some 'date'. He sighed  
again.  
  
"I swear," Ranma said to no one in particular, "It's like   
there's some kami out to get me or something."  
  
*****  
  
Urd giggled.  
  
Not only was Ranma shaping up to be a great fighter, he was   
also proving himself to be very creative, intelligent, and perceptive.  
He was truly the epitome of the perfect man.  
  
Not to mention he was gorgeous.   
  
Urd smiled as she watched Ranma through the computer screen in  
front of her. She saw him get up and start walking to school in spite  
of his injuries. Closer inspection revealed that the injuries were   
already healing at a rate fifty times faster than a normal human.  
  
Tearing her gaze from the screen, Urd thought of how far Ranma  
had come since she had saved him from a pit of cats all those years  
ago. At the time, she was merely doing him a favor. She saw great   
potential in him, however, and quickly set about getting permission to  
personally oversee his development and ensure that he would turn out   
to be nothing less than a man among men.   
  
Kami-sama had been quick to agree, elated that something would  
distract her from meddling in the love affairs of every other god or  
goddess who was unfortunate enough to cross paths with her.  
  
Now, more than a decade later, Ranma was becoming more than   
she could ever have hoped for. He was perfect.   
  
That was the problem.  
  
Part of her self-appointed duties to Ranma had been to ensure   
that a proper wife was selected for him. It simply wouldn't do for her  
masterpiece to just go out and marry the first girl he laid eyes on.  
Through the years she had tried many times to find the right match. She   
could no longer count how many women she had 'arranged' for him to be  
engaged to. Each girl had been a good choice. They had all been very  
beautiful, and loving. Alas, as time wore on, she realized that they  
were simply not good _enough_.   
  
Oh well, there were plenty of women she had yet to try. She was  
sure that in the end, Ranma would be thankful that she went through all  
this trouble just to make sure he had a good life.  
  
She lifted a finger to her chin and thought about who the next  
fiance would be.   
  
"Hmmm, Ukyo and Shampoo were nice, but just not right for him.  
Akane showed promise, but all the abuse Ranma was taking from her   
would have left him scarred and ugly," she thought aloud. She frowned  
as she thought of Ranma's face with an ugly scar on his cheek. If it  
wasn't for her intervention, Ranma would probably look that way   
already. Ranma owed her big time.   
  
She started thinking of other girls who might be able to fit   
the bill. Picking up her checklist, she examined all of the names that   
didn't have a mark on the box next to them.  
  
"That Kurumi girl was cute, and so was her sister Natsume.   
Yuka and Sayuri have had crushes on him for months, and Kasumi has  
taken a liking to him ever since that bathroom incident." Urd stopped  
momentarily to pat herself on the back for coming up with that idea.  
  
"Hey Urd, are you messing around with that mortal's life   
again?" Urd groaned at the sound of her sister's voice. Placing the  
list back down, she swiveled her chair to face the frowning goddess   
of the future.  
  
"I'm not messing around with his life, I'm just making sure he  
reaches his full potential that's all!" Urd narrowed her eyes at the  
mere suggestion that Ranma would've been better off without her.  
  
"His full potential as what? All you've been doing is making  
a bunch of girls fall in love with him!" Skuld pointed an accusing   
finger at her older sister. "I don't see what's so special about him   
anyway."  
  
"I've never made a girl fall in love with Ranma. I just created  
the circumstances that allowed them to do so!" Urd chuckled at her   
words before she continued. "I had absolutely nothing to do with any  
of those girls falling in love with Ranma. They all fell for his   
charms completely on their own. Why wouldn't they? Ranma is a perfect  
man! It's my job to find the perfect woman for him!"  
  
Skuld rolled her eyes. "Perfect man? He's a _woman_ half the   
time."  
  
"That just makes him more adaptable to the varied tastes of all  
the females out there!" Urd laughed in a Nahga-esque manner.   
  
"What about his immortality? What'll you do when this 'perfect'  
girl grows old and Ranma's still young?" Skuld beamed in triumph,  
confident that Urd would never be able to come up with a retort to  
that one.  
  
Urd stopped chuckling when Skuld's words finally reached her.  
Much as she was loath to admit it, Skuld had a point. She was just   
about to wring her hands in despair when a _brilliant_ idea came to  
her.  
  
"Don't worry, Skuld. I think I've found _just_ the girl for  
him." Urd grinned at her sister as she turned her chair and began   
typing rapidly on the keyboard in front of her.  
  
"Hey, what're you doing?" Skuld asked, a worried tone to her  
voice. She'd seen Urd with that grin before, when she remarked that  
not _all_ women would like Ranma because some were lesbians. She still  
felt a little guilty about Ranma's curse. She couldn't do anything,  
however, because Ranma was _Urd's_ responsibility.  
  
"You'll see, little sister, you'll see." Urd's eyes gleamed as  
she continued typing.  
  
*****  
  
Setsuna sneezed.  
  
Haruka twirled some more of the pasta on her plate into her  
fork and popped it into her mouth. She continued chewing as Setsuna  
wiped her nose with a white handkerchief.  
  
"I hope you're not getting sick or anything." Haruka smiled to  
herself as she imagined the normally cool and aloof senshi of Pluto  
sniffling and sneezing uncontrollably.  
  
"I must leave."  
  
Haruka turned her head to the green haired woman sitting   
across from her at the table. She wasn't all that surprised. She had  
long ago gotten used to the senshi of time's unusual ways.   
  
"Why so suddenly? Is it anything we should know about?"   
  
"You and Michiru should not concern yourselves. It is nothing  
important." Setsuna walked out of the room and disappeared as the door  
clicked shut behind her. She walked the short distance to her room and  
entered. Closing the door behind her, she rapidly opened a portal to  
the gates of time.  
  
Exiting at the other end of the portal, Setsuna quickly made   
her way to the gates and checked the future for signs of the change   
she felt. Crystal Tokyo was still there, and she breathed a sigh of  
relief. It wasn't completely the same though, and she delved deeper  
looking for any evidence of change.   
  
A few seconds later, she fainted.  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
This is the first part of a series I'm starting. This _could_   
get fairly epic. I would like to thank Chester, Ash, and Vex for all  
of their help and suggestions.  
  
Many thanks to Ash for typing those scene separators.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	2. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: If I owned Ranma 1/2, Ah Megamisama!, and Sailormoon, would  
I be posting free fanfics on the web?   
  
Warning: If symptoms persist, consult your crystal ball.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 1  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
"I'm sooooo sleepy."  
  
Usagi Tsukino did not like waking up early. In fact, she hated  
it. She could never understand what drove so many people to get up and   
accomplish something useful when they could have been sleeping soundly  
in their beds. She looked at Rei, seated beside her on the train.   
  
"Rei, did you bring any manga in your purse? I can't seem to  
stay awake."  
  
Rei turned her head to look at the girl she both loved and   
hated. Taking a few seconds to narrow her eyes in anger, she quickly  
turned away from the blonde and resumed staring out the window.  
  
"Aw, come on Rei! You aren't still mad at me are you? I didn't  
mean to ruin your dress like that, but it was our anniversary and I  
didn't have anything to wear! How was _I_ supposed to know that we'd  
get attacked in the middle of the night? I promise to replace it after   
I've saved enough money."  
  
Rei looked at her friend once again, and realized that Usagi  
was on the verge of tears. Angry as she was over the destruction of her  
expensive garment, she realized that she could hardly blame Usagi for  
the circumstances that lead up to it. She smiled at Usagi and felt the  
tension in her muscles draining away.  
  
"It's okay, don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault so I  
won't make you pay for the dress. Just promise never to borrow clothes  
from me again."  
  
Usagi's face lit up with a smile as she hugged Rei fiercely.  
  
"Really? You're the best, Rei!"  
  
Rei rolled her eyes and got back to looking outside. A few   
seconds later, Usagi fell asleep.  
  
Some people might have seen it as adorable, the way her head  
lolled from side to side as the train she was riding went along on its   
way. Others might have looked at the strange smile forming on her face  
and wondered what happy dream could have been causing it.  
  
Rei just hoped Usagi would stop drooling on her shoulder.  
  
On the seats across from them, the other inner senshi wondered  
what it was that Setsuna wanted. It wasn't like her to call them so far   
from Juuban.  
  
"Fascinating..." Ami Mizuno continued staring at her computer,   
as she had been doing since the train had begun to near Nerima. From  
time to time she would frown as it gave her another reading she didn't  
expect.  
  
"Huh? Did you say something, Ami-chan?" Minako momentarily  
stopped admiring the cute guy several seats away and tried to see  
what the ice senshi was getting so excited about.   
  
"I've been getting strange readings since we neared Nerima.   
There are a lot of very powerful auras in there, I think." Ami answered   
the question without looking up from the tiny screen in front of her.  
  
"Powerful beings? Could they be enemies?" Makoto turned her  
head to Ami excitedly.  
  
"No, that's the strange thing about them. All the auras   
indicate beings with power either equal to or greater than our senshi  
forms, but they're all undeniably human." Ami pressed a few buttons on   
her computer's keypad, and frowned again.  
  
"Maybe they're disguising themselves. Could they possibly be   
masking their auras?" Makoto still wasn't convinced.   
  
"I'll bet it has something to do with Setsuna calling us there.  
Maybe we should wait until she's finished telling us what she has to   
say. If she doesn't mention the sources of the readings, we can always  
ask her afterward, right?" Minako again turned to the cute guy. Maybe  
she should go over to him and introduce herself...  
  
Ami nodded. "Minako is right. Setsuna should be able to shed  
some light on this."  
  
"I'll bet it's another being come to destroy the world or  
something." Makoto cracked her knuckles, almost wishing that there  
would be new enemies to fight. Nothing much has happened for the past  
few weeks, and she was itching to fight.  
  
Minako sighed as she saw the cute guy kiss the man beside him  
on the lips. A large sweat drop appeared behind her head.  
  
*****  
  
Skuld was not happy. She had been watching Ranma's life through  
the Yggdrasil and so far she couldn't see anything different from the  
way things were before. She should have been relieved, but she was   
actually even more afraid because of it. It was her firm belief that  
everything Urd did would inevitably lead to trouble, and the longer  
the lag between the act and the trouble, the bigger the trouble would  
turn out to be.  
  
She looked at Ranma's sleeping form and sighed. She would never   
admit it to anyone, but she'd had a crush on him since he was five. He   
was so cute then!  
  
"He's cute now," the young Goddess whispered to herself.   
Suddenly, she found what she was looking for and gasped.   
  
Getting up from her seat, she slowly made her way to talk to   
the one person she trusted with her secret.  
  
The fact that she had indirectly caused Ranma's curse was   
constantly weighing on Skuld's shoulders. She felt guilty that he   
had to suffer so because of a slip of her tongue. However, no matter   
how much she wanted to, she could not interfere as long as Urd was in   
charge of him.  
  
"How'd she get Father to agree to that deal anyway?" Skuld  
could no longer remember how many times she had asked herself that   
question through the years. She knew better than to question the will   
of her father, though.  
  
Finally reaching the room she was headed for, she knocked on it  
three times. Shortly after, a brown-haired young woman opened the door.  
  
"Oh, hello Skuld. What a pleasant surprise!" Belldandy stood  
aside, waving her sister into her room.  
  
"Oh Oneesama, Urd's doing something to him again, and I can't   
_do_ anything!" Skuld ran to her sister and hugged her.  
  
"Calm down, it's not your fault." Belldandy led her sister to  
her bed, where she stroked her sister's hair and comforted her.  
  
"But I said, and then Urd said, and now he's..." the young   
goddess babbled incoherently.  
  
"I can't understand a word you're saying. Now, begin by telling  
me exactly what happened." Belldandy hated the way Skuld blamed herself  
for the things that Urd did to Ranma. However, there was little she, or   
anyone else for that matter, could do. The two goddesses continued   
talking for some time.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma coughed and sputtered as a bucket of water was dumped on  
him, waking him up from restful slumber. Now a she, the young martial  
artist sat up suddenly and shook himself awake. Quickly turning to the   
person who splashed him, his eyes narrowed into slits as anger overtook   
his good sense.  
  
"What'cha do _that_ for? It ain't even a school day! I don't   
have any dumb classes to attend so lay off!"  
  
Akane took little notice of his outburst and bopped him on the  
head with the bucket she was holding.  
  
"What did you _do_ to Ryoga yesterday? Kasumi told me he was  
here and that he was a wreck! You know you shouldn't bully others,  
Ranma! Why are you always so mean to Ryoga anyway? He's such a sweet  
guy, not like _some_ people I know."  
  
"What're you talking about? Ryoga attacked _me_, not the other  
way around! He even had Mousse and Kuno with him this time!" Ranma  
angrily got up and started taking off his wet shirt. He'd planned to  
sleep in today, but now that he was awake he might as well get some  
practice in while it was still relatively early.  
  
"Yeah right Ranma, you were probably teasing him again! Ryoga  
wouldn't just attack you for no reason." Akane crossed her arms over   
her chest, pretending not to notice that Ranma's breasts were _still_  
bigger than hers.  
  
"Oh yeah? How would _you_ know that, Akane?" Ranma opened a  
drawer and started rummaging through it for a change of clothes.  
  
"I'll have you know that Ryoga has _always_ been nice to me and  
that he has never acted badly in my presence.  
  
"Fine, if you like him so much, why don't you just go off and  
marry him then! That is, if he'd even want to marry an uncute, unsexy  
girl like you!"   
  
"Why you little... DIE, RANMA!" Akane swung at Ranma with a   
wicked uppercut, sending him flying through the roof only to land right  
in the middle of the Koi pond.  
  
"Uncute tomboy," Ranma muttered under his breath as he started   
getting up.  
  
"I heard that!" Akane's voice rang through the house as she   
started moving towards the pond to inflict further punishment on her  
fiance. She wasn't all that surprised to find that he had already fled  
by the time she got there.  
  
"He's probably running off to do something perverted with Ukyo  
and Shampoo, the little hentai." Akane continued to grumble through  
the rest of the morning.  
  
*****  
  
'Maybe I should go off to Ucchan's for a while,' Ranma thought  
to himself as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop. 'It's not exactly safe  
to be at the Tendo's for now.'  
  
When Ranma had first arrived at the Tendo residence, he had  
thought that he'd found a home at last. Alas, even after all the time  
he'd been living there, he still couldn't think of it as such. He'd  
always felt so... unwelcome there, as if his engagement to Akane was  
the only reason they tolerated his presence.   
  
'It's not like I don't help out around the house. The least  
they could do is make me feel wanted at least.' Ranma continued   
jumping from rooftop to rooftop while deep in thought. He never even  
noticed the green haired woman watching him from afar.  
  
"I must stop it before it's too late." Setsuna looked at her   
watch to find that the other senshi would not be arriving for at least  
another hour. Walking with a grace which made the small, routine action  
seem beautiful, she made her way into the ice cream shop behind her.  
Moving to an unoccupied booth, she sat down and prepared to wait.  
  
*****  
  
"Well, that _could_ get very problematic." Belldandy continued   
stroking Skuld's back, but her mind was miles away from her sister. If   
what Skuld said was true, Urd's antics would have repercussions that   
would reach far into the future, and might even change the fate of the   
world itself.   
  
"I know that, but there's nothing we can do! Ranma's off limits  
to us." Skuld hugged her sister harder.  
  
"Oh, I wouldn't go _that_ far." Belldandy held her sister at  
arm's length.  
  
"Huh? What do you mean?" Skuld blinked twice. "I've read the  
contract. There aren't any loopholes in it. Aside from father, Urd is  
the only one who can do anything to him."  
  
Belldandy smiled. "Oh, I know that. Ranma is completely   
shielded from our influence by Urd's contract with father. Of course,   
there are ways of getting to him without having to directly affect him   
in any way."  
  
Skuld's eyes flashed with excitement, and her lips formed a  
smile. "Yes, go on."  
  
*****  
  
"Where is she?"   
  
Minako looked around her one more time and sure enough, Setsuna   
was nowhere in sight. Ami was beside her glancing around as well and   
was no more successful than her friend had been.  
  
"Maybe she's not here yet." Makoto spared the ice cream parlor  
a cursory glance, not really expecting to find the green haired senshi  
of Pluto.  
  
"I don't think so. Setsuna was never late before and I doubt   
that she'd be any less punctual now. If anything, she's probably   
already left. After all, we _are_ ten minutes late." Ami glared at   
the two unusually silent girls behind her.  
  
"Ami's right. You shouldn't have done what you did. Imagine,  
shouting at each other in a public vehicle!" Minako frowned at her two  
companions.  
  
"Don't look at me! It's not _my_ fault that meatball-head here  
keeps having perverted thoughts even in her sleep!" Rei crossed her  
arms in front of herself and frowned.  
  
"I was _not_ having perverted thoughts! I told you I was having  
a dream!" Usagi was on the verge of tears, only her pride holding  
them in check.  
  
"A perverted dream, for sure!" Rei glared at Usagi, staring  
down the blonde schoolgirl with her venomous gaze.  
  
"It was _not_ a perverted dream! My thoughts are completely  
pure!" Usagi's cheeks burned bright red with embarrassment.  
  
"What are you talking about, Usagi? You were _humping_ my leg!  
What else could it possibly been?" Rei shivered in disgust at the   
memory of one of her best friends rubbing up against her in ways that  
she'd much rather forget about.  
  
"I was dreaming about riding!" The blush on Usagi's cheeks   
burned brighter, the other's taking it as a sign of guilt.   
  
"You can say _that_ again." Rei rolled her eyes.  
  
"Horses! I was dreaming about riding horses! Why won't you  
believe me? It's the truth!"   
  
"Oh God, they're at it again." Makoto rubbed her fingers   
against her temples.  
  
"How embarrassing." Minako uttered a silent prayer to the gods  
that no one she knew was here.  
  
"That's enough. You will stop your bickering this instant."  
  
The five girls whirled to find Setsuna looking at them with a   
serious expression on her face.   
  
"When did _you_ get here? I never noticed you come in!" the  
other girls nodded in agreement at Minako's statement.  
  
"That does not matter right now * . There are more pressing  
matters that need to be discussed. Let us sit there." Setsuna gestured  
to an empty booth and the girls all seated themselves, curious at what  
it was that was so important.  
  
"Well? What's so important that you had to drag us all the way  
here just to say it?" Makoto still hadn't forgotten about the strange  
readings Ami got earlier, and she was itching to find out more about  
them.  
  
"I think it would be better to demonstrate." Setsuna glanced at  
her watch. "Yes, I believe it is just about to begin."  
  
"Huh? What's about to be-" Usagi's sentence was interrupted by  
a loud crash from outside.  
  
*****  
  
"Die, Ranma!"   
  
Ranma dodged another flurry of punches from Ryoga before   
feinting to the right and kicking the fanged martial artist. The blow  
hit him directly on his back, the force enough to send him through a  
wall and onto street outside the house whose backyard they had been  
fighting in.  
  
"What is it this time, Ryoga?" Ranma dropped into a stance as  
Ryoga quickly recovered from the hit, brushing himself off as he stood  
up.  
  
"You know perfectly well what it's about, Ranma! I can see   
through your plans like they were the clearest glass. You beat me up  
yesterday so you could spend today cheating on Akane!" Ryoga charged  
at Ranma, enraged that he hadn't gotten a single good hit in so far.  
  
"It's not like I had a choice, you know! Akane threw me out  
before I could eat any breakfast, _that's_ why I was at Ucchan's. What  
do you want me to do, starve to death?" Ranma dodged a left straight  
punch and blocked the two fingers striking at his eyes. Grabbing   
Ryoga by the collar of his shirt, Ranma moved to throw him over his  
shoulder into a wall.   
  
Ryoga was ready for it this time, however, and reversed the   
throw. Flipping through the air and rebounding off the wall, Ranma   
jumped high into the air, preparing to launch a kick at Ryoga on his   
way down.  
  
Ryoga saw the move coming and jumped into the air to meet him.  
The two exchanged blows for a few seconds before dropping back down,  
turning quickly back to each other.  
  
*****  
  
"It's unbelievable, if I'm not mistaken, _both_ of them have  
enough power to match our senshi forms! They're even stronger than the  
negaverse generals but the readings indicate that they're both humans!"  
Ami frantically typed on the keypad of her computer as her companions  
looked at the fight in awe.  
  
"Their skills and strength are amazing." Rei watched slack-  
jawed at both combatants as they fought to gain the advantage over the  
other. The fight was close, but she thought the cute guy in the red  
chinese shirt was slowly overpowering the guy with the bandanna.  
  
"Yeah..." Minako and Usagi drooled openly as the man of their  
dreams fought in front of them with a grace and speed they had never  
before seen.  
  
*****  
  
"That's right, Ranma, hit him with all you've got!" Urd watched  
the fight on her screen excitedly. She had other things to do, but they  
could wait until Ranma had won. A good goddess knew how to get her  
priorities straight, after all. During a lull in the fight, she briefly  
wondered where Skuld was.  
  
'That's odd, she usually likes to watch the fights with me.   
Where could she be?'  
  
The thought quickly left her mind as she saw Ranma get another  
punch through Ryoga's defense. "Go get him, Ranma!"  
  
*****  
  
"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!" Ryoga tried to block as many of  
Ranma's punches as he could, but a lot of them still got through.   
Dazed from the attack, he never saw the flying kick Ranma launched at  
him. He paid dearly for his mistake, flying ten feet through the air  
and landing roughly on the street below.   
  
'Now's my chance!' Ranma rushed at Ryoga to take advantage of  
the vulnerable state his opponent was in.   
  
  
"Wow, did you see that? They were _amazing_!" Rei turned   
excitedly to her friends, but got no response. Ami was still busy with  
her computer, Minako and Usagi wore glassy eyed expressions on their  
faces, and Makoto looked like she'd just seen a ghost. Setsuna looked  
deep in thought.   
  
"Makoto-chan, are you okay? You don't look so good." Rei waved  
a hand in front of Makoto, snapping her out of her daze.  
  
"Sempai... I have to help him!"   
  
Makoto brushed Rei aside and started running towards the two  
fighters.  
  
"Makoto, wait!" Makoto paid no heed to Rei's pleas and   
continued towards her destination. Rei shook her head at Makoto's  
foolhardy move. Then, a thought hit her with the force of a freight  
train.  
  
'Wait a minute, _sempai_?'  
  
*****  
  
"This is it, all or nothing."  
  
Ranma once again jumped high into the air, charging up his ki  
for a final attack that would hopefully end the match in his favor.  
  
'Now you die, Saotome'  
  
Using the desperation of his situation to fuel a huge amount  
of depression ki, Ryoga charged up for his own final attack.  
  
"Mouko Takabisha!"  
  
"Shi Shi Hokodan!"  
  
The two attacks canceled each other out, exploding in a bright  
flash of energy.  
  
After releasing his attack, Ranma twisted his body once more  
and prepared to hit Ryoga with a flying kick to the head. At the same  
time, Ryoga jumped into the air, his fist pointed towards the heavens  
in an attack aimed for Ranma's stomach.  
  
The two fighters both hit their marks. Time seemed to stop as  
they stared at each other, aware that this fight was now over.   
  
Then they started falling.   
  
"Sempai!" Makoto ran towards the two falling bodies. Ryoga hit  
the ground hard, forming a crater upon impact. Ranma hadn't fared much  
better. She quickly made her way towards Ryoga and shook him.  
  
"Sempai, are you okay?"  
  
*****  
  
Urd was startled by the sound of the footsteps behind her. She  
breathed a sigh of relief as she recognized the aura of the newcomer.  
  
"There you are. I was wondering how long it'd take you to get   
here. You're late, the fight's already over."  
  
"That's okay, I was just coming over to pick up a few things.  
I'm answering a call for the GRH."  
  
"The Goddess Relief Hotline? But aren't you a debugger?" Urd  
eyed her sister suspiciously.  
  
"It's just one case, a special assignment." Skuld finished  
getting her things and left quickly.  
  
Urd raised a hand to her chin. "Special assignment huh? This   
bears investigation."   
  
With quick but silent steps, she followed in the direction  
Skuld had headed.  
  
*****  
  
"Sempai, are you okay?"  
  
Ryoga felt himself roughly being shook. He opened his eyes and  
saw the blurred image of a pretty brunette looking down on him with  
a concerned her look in her eyes.  
  
'Damn it, Ranma! Now you've killed me and sent me to heaven! I  
will never forgive you for this- Huh? Sempai?'  
  
Ryoga shook his head, focusing his eyes on the female holding   
his head up. She looked taller than most, and wore her long dark hair  
in a ponytail.  
  
"Ma... Mako-chan?"  
  
Makoto smiled upon seeing that her old boyfriend of sorts was  
safe. She brushed a lock of hair from his eyes.  
  
"Yes, sempai, it's me. Are you alright?"  
  
Ryoga felt excruciating pain in his whole body and had trouble  
focusing his eyes. He also had a huge headache that made him feel like  
someone was drilling a hole through his temples.  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"Really? That's great!"  
  
Ryoga felt the pain in his head increase slightly as Makoto  
dropped him unceremoniously and made her way over to where her friends  
were trying their best to help Ranma.  
  
"Is he okay?" Makoto sat beside Minako as she cradled Ranma's  
head in her lap. Rei was brushing dirt off his face and Usagi was   
standing to the side, a worried look on her face. Ami was running her  
computer over his body and taking note of the readings it gave her.  
  
A few feet away, Ryoga seethed with jealousy.  
  
'Damn you Saotome! First Akane, now Mako-chan! Will there be no  
end to the suffering I must endure because of you? I swear, I shall  
never forgive you for this affront!' Ryoga's thoughts vanished as he  
once again fell unconscious.  
  
Ranma woke up to the not so unfamiliar feeling of having his  
head cradled in a girl's lap. He reflexively shot to his feet, then  
staggered a little as he fell dizzy.  
  
"Don't move so much, you're hurt!"  
  
Ranma didn't recognize the blonde who gave him the warning. He  
didn't remember ever seeing anyone with the same hairstyle as her, and  
it wasn't a style he'd easily forget. He decided to play it cool.  
  
"Nah, I'm alright. I've taken worse hits before." He smiled at  
her, hoping to convince her that he was okay.  
  
"But the fight!"   
  
Ranma brushed off the comment of the blonde wearing a bow and   
started straightening his clothes.  
  
"Don't worry about me, I do this all the time. I'm the best  
martial artist in the world!"  
  
"Are you sure? You might have a concussion, or internal damage,  
or-" Ranma cut off the short haired girl's comment.  
  
Ranma cut off the short haired girl's comment. "I told you I'm   
fine. I'm _used_ to this sort of thing. You girls, on the other hand,   
aren't. You shouldn't have run into the fight like you did. You might   
have gotten hurt."  
  
"Those were some great moves you used! What style do you   
practice?" Ranma beamed at the praise.   
  
"I am Ranma Saotome of the Saotome School of Anything-Goes   
Martial Arts."  
  
The girl's eyes collectively glossed over as they took in the  
magnificent sight that was Ranma Saotome. Ranma stood tall, basking in  
the attention, until he heard bells ringing in the distance.  
  
"Sorry girls, gotta go!" Ranma vaulted to the roof of a nearby  
house, and soon was gone from view.  
  
"He's such a hunk." Minako sighed as she remembered how he  
looked when he smiled.  
  
"Yeah, he's so cool." Makoto remembered the ki blast he used  
in the fight. Whoever he was, he was strong.  
  
"I'm confused over the readings I got from him. They indicate  
that-"  
  
"That's enough of that. Follow me back to the ice cream parlor.  
We need to talk about that boy."   
  
"Setsuna? Where'd you go while the fight was going on? How'd   
you get here?" Rei replayed the past few minutes in her mind, but could  
not place where Setsuna had gone.  
  
"That is unimportant. We must talk right now. It is a matter  
of utmost importance."  
  
The five inner senshi knew better than to argue with Setsuna.  
Glancing back towards the roof Ranma had disappeared to, they turned  
and followed Setsuna back to the parlor. On the way, Usagi nearly   
tripped as she stepped on something.  
  
"Ack! It's the other guy from the fight! Do you know him,   
Mako-chan? You spoke to him earlier."   
  
"Oh, he's my old sempai I was talking about." Makoto didn't  
even stop to look at Ryoga as he lay on the street, his face marred by  
Usagi's footprint.  
  
"Really? Aren't you going to try to get back together with  
him?" Minako winked at Makoto, who just laughed.  
  
"I don't think so. I've already got my eye on someone." The  
girls all sighed at the memory of Ranma's smile. They all stopped at   
the sound of Setsuna's voice.  
  
"If you are all finished with your daydreaming, I would like  
to remind everyone that we are here for a reason. That reason will be  
revealed as soon as we get to the parlor." Setsuna frowned when none  
of the girls moved.  
  
"It's about that boy you just saw."  
  
All the inner senshi disappeared and Setsuna felt a gust of   
wind blow by her at the mention of Ranma's name. Shaking her head in  
disdain, she calmly walked towards the ice cream parlor, stepping on  
Ryoga in the process.  
  
*****  
  
A few minutes later, Ryoga regained consciousness and found   
that his injuries had actually gotten worse.  
  
"I'll bet Ranma hit me while I was down, the coward."  
  
He moved to raise his head, but was stopped by a collision with  
a rapidly moving vehicle.  
  
"Aiyah! Shampoo sure Airen was here a moment ago. Where Ranma  
go?"  
  
Shampoo quickly rode off on her bike, leaving fresh tire tracks  
on Ryoga's already battered face.  
  
  
*****  
  
"It's just not fair!"  
  
Ukyo angrily flipped the okonomiyaki she was cooking, applying   
enough force to propel it straight into the ceiling. Ranma had come  
by earlier today to eat. It had been just perfect. Ranma complimented  
her cooking, and even noticed the message of love scribbled on it. She  
had casually remarked that she would make a good wife because of her  
cooking skills, and Ranma had agreed wholeheartedly!  
  
Well, actually, he just quickly nodded his head up and down   
while eating but it was practically the same thing.   
  
Everything was going fine until Ryoga came along. He hadn't   
been in the restaurant for five seconds and they were already locked  
in battle. Her perfect morning with Ranma, ruined by a directionally  
challenged idiot.  
  
A drop of batter fell on her nose.  
  
Looking up at the remnants of her food, she sighed in defeat.  
She'd had to close shop after Ranma and Ryoga left to clean up after  
the fight. She was already too tired to cook her own food, but she  
was hungry. Picking up a nearby phone, she dialed the number of the  
local pizza place.  
  
"This is the Goddess Relief Hotline, I'll be with you in a  
second."  
  
Ukyo blinked in confusion.  
  
"What? Isn't this Ataru's Pizza Place? Hello? Hello?" Ukyo  
replaced the phone in its receiver.  
  
'It was probably a wrong number. A strange one too. Huh?'   
Ukyo's train of thought was derailed by a sound coming from inside her   
bathroom. Grabbing her battle spatula from her back, she approached  
the door carefully. It opened suddenly and a small girl stepped out.  
She had long dark hair and strange markings on her face. She had what  
looked like a hammer strapped to her back. Her clothes were of a style  
Ukyo had never seen before, and she was levitating a short distance  
from the floor.  
  
"Hi, I am the goddess Skuld. I'm here to grant you a wish!"  
  
End  
  
*****  
  
* if you must know, she was at the ladies room.  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
This turned out to be longer than expected, and I still haven't  
been able to squeeze everything I wanted into it. The thing Setsuna saw   
in the time gates will be revealed next chapter, I promise. I would   
like to thank Chester, Ash, and Vex for all of their help and   
suggestions.  
  
Many thanks to Ash for typing those scene separators.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters contained in this story,  
nor do I hold any claim to the series they belong to. I am not making  
any money by writing this, and I never will. If you still want to sue,  
have fun looking for me.  
  
Warning: The early worm got eaten, always remember that.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 2  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
"So, what's this important thing we have to discuss, and what  
does it have to do with Ranma?" Makoto sat down together with the rest  
of the inner senshi and Setsuna on one of the booths back at the ice  
cream parlor.   
  
"I bet he was my husband back at the silver millennium!" Minako  
sighed and closed her eyes, losing herself in a daydream even as the  
rest of the inners glared daggers at her.  
  
*****  
  
"Oh Ranma, I love you so much." Minako rested her head against  
Ranma's chest as they slowly walked along the seashore. The stars shone  
brightly in the clear night sky and all around them the beach was   
devoid of any other people.   
  
"I love you too, Mina-chan." Ranma held his love closer,   
basking in the warm glow of her presence, content to just hold her like   
that for as long as she wanted.  
  
They walked like that for a while, the sound of their footsteps  
and the waves softly coming to shore the only sounds in their ears. No  
words were uttered between them, for the love that they had bound them  
to each other in ways that transcended any spoken language. Theirs was  
the language of love, and no words were needed to communicate through  
it. All too quickly, they found themselves at the entrance to Minako's  
house, and they reluctantly parted so that she could find her keys and  
open the door.  
  
"I guess this is it, Mina-chan. I enjoyed our night together."  
Ranma stepped closer to her, cupping her face in his hands and smiling  
sweetly at her.  
  
"I guess it is, Ranma." Minako blushed as she realized what he  
intended to do, and she closed her eyes in anticipation.  
  
"Good night, Mina-chan." Ranma inched his face closer to hers,  
longing to feel her soft, warm lips against his own. Slowly, he went  
closer. Minako could already feel his breath on her as he went closer,  
and closer, and closer...  
  
*****  
  
"A... a wish? You're a Goddess?" Ukyo slowly backed away, her  
mind a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. Could it be true? Was this  
the answer to all of her prayers? Have the Gods finally taken pity on  
her?  
  
Was it all some sort of a joke? Was someone playing a cruel   
trick on her? But the child in front of her _was_ floating in mid air.  
Granted, she'd seen others fly before, but why would she say what she  
did if she didn't mean it?  
  
"That's right. I am Skuld, goddess of the future. You have been  
chosen to receive one wish from me, anything you like." Skuld gave the  
frightened girl her best smile, hoping to ease her obvious nervousness.  
Nervous people make stupid mistakes, and Skuld's plans to help Ranma  
hinged on this girl making the right wish. Ukyo frowned, staring   
doubtfully at the girl in front of her.  
  
"How do I know you're really a goddess, huh?"  
  
Skuld giggled at the question. The symbol on her forehead   
glowed brightly with power. Ukyo closed her eyes, unable to keep them  
open. She felt a feeling of displacement, not unlike that of riding   
an elevator. She gasped in surprise when she opened them again. In   
front of her, she saw Ranma. He looked a bit older, but she had no  
trouble recognizing his distinctive good looks.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma was wearing an okonomiyaki seller's outfit not unlike the  
one she usually wore. He was frying an okonomiyaki on the griddle in  
front of him. After pouring the sauce on top, he quickly put it onto a  
plate and called out to the room behind him.  
  
"Ukyo! I'm already done over here!"  
  
The door swung open and a beautiful woman stepped out. It took  
a few moments for Ukyo to recognize the woman as herself. She could  
hardly believe it, but she was gorgeous!  
  
Ukyo unconsciously gave a sigh of relief. It was one of her  
fears that with her lifestyle centered around food, she would gain   
weight should she ever stop training in martial arts. That was clearly  
not the case. She resumed watching the scene as it unfolded in front  
of her.  
  
"It smells great, Ran-chan. I bet it tastes great too." The  
future Ukyo smiled radiantly at Ranma, who grinned and scratched the  
back of his head.  
  
"If it does, that's because I had a great teacher."  
  
The future Ukyo giggled at the comment. "Okay, stop stalling.  
Let me have it already."  
  
Ranma handed her the okonomiyaki he made earlier, and she   
saw that scribbled in the sauce was a small message for her.  
  
'For the love of my life, Ucchan'  
  
She looked at him again. "Thank you, Ranma. That was very sweet  
of you."  
  
Ranma broke into a smile. "I only wrote that because it's true,  
you know."  
  
The future Ukyo smiled back. "You were always the smooth   
talker. Well, this is it, the moment of truth."   
  
Cutting off a small piece and bringing it to her mouth with a  
fork, the future Ukyo chewed on the morsel for a few seconds before  
finally swallowing.  
  
"It didn't taste good, Ranma."  
  
Ranma tried to put on a happy front, but it was obvious that  
he was very disappointed.  
  
"Well, I'll just have to improve I guess. Maybe I added a   
little too much-"  
  
"It was better than good! Outstanding! That was one of the best  
okonomiyakis I've ever tasted!."   
  
Ranma's crestfallen look disappeared immediately, replaced by  
one of joy.   
  
"Really? You're not just saying that?"  
  
The future Ukyo smirked at him. "I take okonomiyaki seriously,  
Ran-chan. I wouldn't joke about something like this."  
  
Ranma smirked right back at her. "Well, it's not like I ever  
had any doubts. I mean, with the best cook in the world teaching me,  
how could I go wrong?"  
  
The future Ukyo smiled enigmatically. "I say you deserve a   
little reward, Ranma."  
  
Ranma's smile grew bigger. "A reward? from a teacher to her  
student?"  
  
The future Ukyo continued smiling. "No, from a wife to her  
husband."  
  
*****  
  
Ukyo reached out to them. They looked so real, so close! It was  
as if she could extend her hand and touch them. Suddenly, she found  
herself back at the Ucchan's.  
  
"Do you believe me now?" Skuld continued smiling, waiting   
patiently for Ukyo's response.   
  
"Really? Anything I want?" Ukyo still had her doubts, but she   
desperately wanted to believe the girl in front of her. Could she   
really be the goddess of the future? She looked so young!  
  
"Anything you want." Skuld relaxed a little, seeing that Ukyo  
was slowly getting over her initial shock at the situation. She moved  
forward, stopping a few feet from Ukyo.  
  
"So, what is it that you want more than anything else?"  
  
Ukyo took all of three seconds to make up her mind.   
  
"I want my Ran-chan to love me as I love him forever."   
  
*****  
  
"Wake up, Minako!"   
  
Minako jerked awake at the sudden interruption. She opened her  
eyes, and immediately let go of Rei. Blushing furiously, she went back  
to her seat with all the dignity she could muster, given the way she  
had just attempted to kiss one of her best friends.  
  
Beside her, Rei wondered whether or not she was a little _too_  
attractive.   
  
"Well, if Minako is done with her little fantasy, I will begin  
the meeting." Setsuna glanced around for a few seconds. Satisfied that  
she had everyone's full, undivided attention, she began talking.  
  
"Yesterday, I felt a change in the timelines. Normally, this   
would be of no concern. Everyday, people make choices that affect the  
future in some way or another. This is unavoidable, and usually it is  
a harmless occurrence. Although I can manipulate the timelines to some  
degree, I can only do so much."  
  
"What are you talking about? What happened? Is Crystal Tokyo  
still going to happen?" Usagi was worried. This had to be serious,   
otherwise Setsuna wouldn't have called them all the way here. Something  
must have gone terribly wrong!  
  
Setsuna raised her right hand, silencing the worried princess.  
She sighed, annoyed that the inners were being so difficult. "To   
answer your question, Usagi, Crystal Tokyo is still there. As far as  
I can tell, it is in no danger."  
  
Usagi breathed a sigh of relief. As long as her future with  
Mamoru was safe, she could care less what other changes were made to  
the future.  
  
"What was the change, then?" Makoto was getting impatient. She  
was itching for some action. Besides, she had to go find out more  
about Ranma. Ryoga was the best martial artist she knew, but Ranma  
managed to defeat him. Maybe Ranma would consent to giving her lessons  
in martial arts, among other things.  
  
"Yeah, and what did it have to do with that Ranma guy?" Rei  
hoped he wasn't responsible for it. She would hate having to fight such   
a hunk.  
  
Setsuna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't  
want to tell this to them, but she needed their help.   
  
"The change concerns Ranma and myself. It would appear that  
we are destined to be married."  
  
*****  
  
Skuld smiled at the wish. The plan worked perfectly. Belldandy   
was a genius! She had to remember to thank her older sister when she   
got back.  
  
Skuld's musings were interrupted as the wish process began.  
The symbols on her face glowed brightly as Yggdrasil analyzed the  
wish. However, as quickly as the process began, it stopped. Skuld's  
mouth gaped open in surprise as she brought Ukyo the sad news.  
  
"Not granted."  
  
"What? Not granted? But why?" Ukyo could not believe that fate  
would be so cruel as to do this to her. So near, yet so far. Tears   
started falling freely from her eyes as she sobbed in sadness.  
  
"Don't feel bad, you can make another wish instead." Skuld   
placed a comforting hand on Ukyo's shoulder. The heartbroken girl  
recoiled violently from the contact.  
  
"Don't you see? I don't want another wish! I want Ran-chan!"  
Ukyo continued sobbing, her body shaking in grief.  
  
Skuld frantically began thinking of a way to fix this. The  
plan had somehow gone terribly wrong. How could such a simple, routine   
wish be rejected? It didn't make sense. Suddenly, the phone began to  
ring. Ukyo didn't look like she had any plans of answering it, so  
Skuld picked up the receiver. It was Belldandy.   
  
"What happened? Why wasn't the wish granted? We grant millions  
of wishes for love everyday, why not this one?" Skuld was worried. She  
never even considered the possibility that the wish would not be  
granted.   
  
"I don't know either. All I know is that it wasn't Ukyo that   
caused the error. I've run her file through the system and it checks  
out. She _definitely_ deserves a wish. Somehow, the computer won't  
accept any wishes that change Ranma's destiny." Skuld could hear the  
worried tone to Belldandy's voice as it came from the handset of the  
telephone.  
  
"In that case, what do I do now? She's crying, and I was never  
trained in the comforting of mortals. You _know_ I've been a debugger  
all my life!" Skuld glanced at Ukyo, who had stopped sobbing but was   
now staring listlessly at the window.  
  
"Just stay with her. If she wants to talk about it, lend her an  
ear. No matter what happens, don't let her fall into depression. I'll   
try to find out what went wrong with the wish."  
  
"Okay, onee-sama. I _told_ you. You should have taken the  
assignment for me. It was _your_ idea to grant her a wish to begin   
with, anyway."   
  
Though she was concerned for Ukyo, Skuld did not relish the   
thought of sitting around all day listening to all her problems,   
especially since she'd already learned about them anyway when Belldandy  
mentioned that one of Ranma's fiancees had a wish coming up.   
  
"I'm sorry, Skuld. I didn't think the wish would be rejected.  
It wasn't supposed to be like this. Just hang in there while I try to  
figure out a way out of this mess. I'm sorry, Skuld."  
  
Skuld sighed. She couldn't really blame Belldandy. It _was_ out   
of the ordinary for such a trivial change in destiny to be rejected.  
  
"It's okay. We'll be fine, but hurry up!"   
  
"I will, Skuld. I definitely will. Bye." Belldandy hung up the  
phone and began the long task of figuring out what went wrong.  
  
*****  
  
"You're _what_?"  
  
The girls all quickly turned to Ami, who had been quiet in her  
seat up until a few moments ago.  
  
"We are destined to be married." Setsuna succeeded in saying so  
without a shred of emotion on her lovely face.  
  
"Don't you think you're a little _old_ for him?" Minako did not  
like this. This was bad.   
  
"Yeah, you're old enough to be his ancestor!" Makoto did not  
like it either. She'd just gotten over one lost love today, she didn't  
want to have her heart broken so soon after it had been made whole  
again.  
  
"I'm still married to Mamo-chan, right?" Usagi just wanted to  
make sure _her_ future was safe. If Setsuna wanted to brag about her  
new boyfriend, she was welcome to.  
  
"How can this be? You don't even know him, do you?" Rei liked   
the situation even less than the others did. Although Minako and Makoto  
had their own boy problems, they had a lot of free time to try and find  
the guy of their dreams. She, on the other hand, had to spend half her  
time doing her duties as a shrine maiden. The only males that ever went  
to the temple were old enough to have seen the extinction of the  
dinosaurs first-hand.  
  
"I'm not sure if you're aware of this, Setsuna, but Ranma has  
energy levels in his human form that would rival ours when we turn into  
senshi. He's not just a guy with a cute butt." Ami immediately blushed  
when she realized that she had said that last part out loud.  
  
"Of course I'm aware of it! I've spent the last eight hours  
learning all about him. He's dangerous. He brings chaos wherever he  
goes. Our marriage must _not_ come to pass.  
  
Five girls breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that. Usagi  
reminded herself that she loved Mamoru, not the handsome young martial  
artist she had met a few minutes ago.  
  
Setsuna turned to Usagi. "That's why I need to borrow the   
Silver Imperium Crystal."  
  
*****  
  
Ranma walked slowly along the street towards the Nekohanten.  
All that fighting had gotten him hungry again, and he didn't want to  
go back to the Tendos just yet. He was about fifty meters away from   
the restaurant when a dagger whizzed by his head and hit a light post  
behind him.  
  
"Ranma, today I shall have my revenge! I shall defeat you,   
reclaiming my honor and winning Shampoo's heart in one fell sweep!"  
  
Ranma looked up and saw Mousse in front of the Nekohanten,   
countless blades fanning out from within the folds of his robe. He   
prepared himself for the coming assault.  
  
It never came.  
  
Mousse cursed and wondered how Ranma could have hit him in the  
back while standing fifty meters in front of him. He must have learned  
a new technique! A few moments later, he passed out.  
  
"Aiyah! Ranma come to see Shampoo! Ranma want to go on date,  
yes?" Shampoo smiled at Ranma, ignoring Mousse as he lay unconscious  
beneath the front tire of her bike. A sweat drop formed from the back   
of Ranma's head.  
  
"Yep, that I did! I was thinking that maybe we could spend some  
quality time getting to know each other while eating some of your   
delicious Ramen, Shampoo." Ranma walked over to Shampoo, stepping on  
Mousse's head as he passed it.  
  
"Of course, Airen. Come inside quick! Shampoo make too, too  
delicious ramen for hungry husband." Shampoo giggled and bounced into  
the restaurant, overjoyed that Ranma wanted to be with her.  
  
"Thanks, Shampoo. You're the best." Ranma walked inside after  
her and took a seat at an empty table.  
  
"I see that you are still taking advantage of my granddaughter,  
son-in-law." Ranma jumped in surprise at the sound of the voice. He  
wished Cologne would stop sneaking up on him like that. It was very  
unnerving. He wasn't used to being surprised.  
  
"Stop doing that, you old ghoul! How do you _do_ that? Sneak up  
on me I mean." It wasn't something Ranma liked to admit, but almost all  
of his advanced martial arts moves were moves that Cologne had taught  
him.   
  
"I could teach you, son-in-law. If you would just accept the  
marriage between yourself and Shampoo, I could make you invincible. I  
would even forget the fact that you have been using your charms on  
Shampoo for free food, cutting into our profits." Cologne couldn't care  
less about profits, but Ranma didn't know that.  
  
"It's not _exactly_ like that." Ranma grew beads of sweat drops  
under the cold stare of the Amazon matriarch, and wished that Shampoo  
would hurry up and get there already.  
  
"Yes it is, son-in-law, you and I both know that. However, I   
am willing to give you a chance. Simply marry Shampoo and all past   
transgressions will be forgotten."   
  
"Wow, would you look at the time! I just remembered that I have  
to... do... some... stuff. Yeah, that's it! I have... um... stuff to  
do! Well, I better get going, bye!" Ranma bounded out of the Nekohanten  
as fast as his legs could take him.   
  
Shampoo appeared a few moments later, carrying a tray with two  
bowls of ramen. "Where airen go, great grandmother?"  
  
"He just left. He had... stuff to do." Cologne saw a look of  
intense disappointment appear on Shampoo's face.  
  
"Do not worry, child. He will be yours when the time comes. He  
is not stupid. We are the only ones with ties to Jusenkyo. If Ranma is  
to have any chance at obtaining a cure, he will marry you."  
  
Shampoo understood the logic in Cologne's words. She would have  
loved it if Ranma were to marry her out of love, but beggars could not  
be choosers. Besides, she was sure that Ranma would easily grow to love  
her in time.   
  
*****  
  
"It's always like this. I've never had a lucky break in my  
life. It's just one tragedy after another. After father died, I was   
left all alone." Ukyo had calmed down from her previous state but she  
still sniffled from time to time. She had spent the last hour telling  
Skuld all about her life.  
  
Skuld nodded from time to time, making idle comments to assure  
the lonely girl in front of her that she was still listening.   
  
"Don't you have any other relatives, Onee-chan?" Skuld had  
never met Ukyo before, but she already felt close to her. Ukyo was a  
girl who had suffered much, but remained strong. Skuld vowed that she  
would help Ukyo in any way she could.  
  
"No, father was all I had. I don't even remember my own mother.  
She died when I was very young." Ukyo sniffled a little.  
  
"I just feel so alone. Everyone else has someone to love them,  
why not me?"  
  
"Don't you have someone here with you? That guy who looks like  
a girl? Don't try to lie to me, I've read it on your file." Skuld was  
sure she had read the right file.   
  
"Konatsu? He doesn't count. He's just really grateful to me for   
giving him a home and stuff. He likes me, but he doesn't love me. He's   
out on a date right now with one of Akane's friends." For a while, Ukyo   
had thought Konatsu was in love with her. That all changed when the   
only male kunoichi met Sayuri.  
  
"Well, what about that other cross-dressing guy? The one who  
wears disguises?" Skuld suddenly wished she had read the whole file and  
not just the interesting parts.  
  
"Well, let's just say Akane had more than one friend." Ukyo  
resumed staring glumly at the window. While she didn't love them,   
Konatsu and Tsubasa had at least served as reassurance to her that she  
was desirable. To find her only admirers leaving her for someone else  
had left her with low self-esteem.  
  
"I'm sure there must be _someone_ who loves you. What about   
Ranma?" Skuld didn't want to mention Ranma, since he might remind Ukyo   
of the failed wish, but she just couldn't believe that such a nice girl  
would be so alone.  
  
"Ranchan loves me, I'm sure of that. He's always very nice to  
me and he's always helping me out. You know, the little things. But  
sometimes, I think he loves me more as a friend than as a lover." Ukyo  
sniffled again, a dull pain forming in her heart.  
  
"Well, maybe that's true, but he still loves you. Isn't that  
what you wished for?" Skuld fidgeted, uncomfortable with the topic of  
their conversation. She glanced at the phone. What was taking Belldandy   
so long?   
  
"I don't want him to just love me, I want him to _love_ me! He  
probably would too if it wasn't for Shampoo and Akane. It's not like I  
love him any less than they do, they just have more help! Akane has her  
dad and Mr. Saotome to remind Ranma of their engagement. Shampoo has  
her grandmother. The only one fighting for _my_ claim is me!" Ukyo's  
eyes flashed with anger.  
  
"I just wish _I_ had someone to help me and support my claim  
to Ranma's heart!"  
  
Skuld's eyes went wide with shock, realizing what it was that  
Ukyo had just done. She tried to move, but found herself unable to as,  
for the second time that day, the wish process began.  
  
Ukyo was startled at the reaction of the young goddess in front  
of her. Even though she had already seen it once, the sudden burst of  
power still caught her by surprise. The markings on Skuld's face lit up  
brightly with power as she floated into the air. The interior of the  
restaurant was thrown into disarray as light objects were lifted by the  
force of the power as a large beam of light flew from the symbol on  
Skuld's forehead going straight up into the sky. A few seconds later,   
the display wound down and Skuld slowly floated back to the ground.  
  
"Wish granted."  
  
*****  
  
The inner senshi all narrowed their eyes and stared right at   
Setsuna. This was a very odd request, one that they did not think was   
necessary.  
  
"What do you need it for?" Usagi did not want to hand over the  
source of her power. Setsuna may have been a senshi, but she still did  
not trust the green haired woman completely.  
  
"I need it's power to fix the timelines." Setsuna glared back  
at the senshi assembled before her.   
  
"Can't you just use the time gate to do that?" Ami turned off  
her computer and placed it into her purse. She didn't think that the  
crystal would be needed just to get rid of an unwanted engagement.  
  
"Yeah, isn't that what it's supposed to be for?" Makoto didn't  
trust Setsuna. She was always up to something.  
  
"Don't you think I would have tried that before coming to you?  
The gates don't work that way. I can't just wave my hand and make a  
timeline go away. I can only influence them slightly. It took me eons  
just to make it so that almost all of the probable timelines would end  
in Crystal Tokyo.   
  
Just the other day, there were about a dozen slightly different   
timelines all ending in Crystal Tokyo. Together, they had a ninety nine   
percent probability of coming to pass. After the change, they have   
subdivided into millions, maybe even billions of timelines, all ending   
in my getting married to Ranma before Crystal Tokyo. I can't just  
avoid them either. They aren't similar at all! They vary wildly in   
what causes the marriage and what happens to us after it.   
  
Someone very powerful changed the timelines and ensured that no   
matter what I do or where I go, I will inevitably marry Ranma. We have  
no idea who that someone is or what he is trying to do. Until we do, we  
must assume that he is an enemy and must be stopped. The timelines may  
converge into the creation of Crystal Tokyo, but they branch out again  
in millions of ways after that."   
  
Setsuna slammed her fist on the table, uncaring of the curious   
looks she got from the rest of the people in the ice cream shop. She   
wanted this discussion over and she wanted it over _now_.  
  
The inners gaped at each other in silence. Until now, they   
never saw the situation as being serious. They were obviously mistaken  
about that assumption.  
  
"What are you trying to say? What does that mean?" Usagi was  
beside herself with confusion.  
  
"It means that the timelines have somehow been manipulated and   
divided so that no matter what Setsuna does, she will still end up  
marrying Ranma. The sheer number of timelines makes it impossible for  
her to return things to the way they were before. Also, while all of   
the new timelines lead to Crystal Tokyo, they divide again after that,  
so anything can happen after Crystal Tokyo has been established."   
  
Ami brought out her computer again and resumed studying her  
data on Ranma. She found him very fascinating. He was just one big  
surprise after another.  
  
"That is a good approximation, Ami. The time gate lacks the  
energy needed to manipulate the timelines so drastically. That's why I   
need access to the energy of the crystal. It might enable the gates to   
bring the timeline back to the way it was." Setsuna grew more impatient   
by the second. Usagi looked thoughtful for a few seconds before giving  
her answer.  
  
"No. I will not give you access to the power contained within  
the crystal."  
  
*****  
  
Ranma jumped quickly from rooftop to rooftop. He had been doing   
that for most of the day but he wasn't really tired. It had become  
somewhat of a hobby for him to just run around and explore whenever  
things got too hectic back at home. He was currently at a place called  
Juuban. He'd never been there before, but he had been hearing about the  
place for a long time. Apparently, it was very prone to youma attacks,  
but also home to a group of heroines who saved it from anything that  
might attack. He didn't think much of it. Any youma defeated by a bunch  
of girls couldn't have been _that_ strong.  
  
He continued exploring, jumping around for a long while until   
it was almost evening. He found himself in a park near the center of  
Juuban.   
  
"It's almost nightfall. Wow, I never realized it was so late. I  
better get back home. Akane should have calmed down by now."  
  
He was just about to leave when he heard a strange sound, like  
muffled crying. Using his superb sense of hearing, he quickly located   
the source. A pretty young girl was sobbing on a small, out of the way  
bench. It was well hidden from view by a large tree and the bushes that  
grew underneath. If he had paused to think things over, he would have  
realized that he had no idea who she was or why she was crying. He  
would have thought that even if he _did_ know, he had no idea how to  
go about helping her, or if he even could.   
  
Unfortunately, when Ranma sees a damsel in distress, he doesn't  
stop to think. Ranma was always a man of action.  
  
"Hi there, miss. It's a nice day isn't it?" Ranma grinned at  
her and turned his charm full on. This always seemed to cheer up the  
girls back at home. The girl looked up at him and frantically produced  
a handkerchief from a pocket on her skirt. Dabbing the cloth to her  
eyes, she attempted to smile at him and stood up from her seat.  
  
"Who... who are you?" The girl looked curiously at him and  
put the handkerchief back into her pocket. Her eyes were red, telling  
Ranma that she had been crying for a while. Ranma observed that with   
her delicate features and dark hair, she would have been very pretty if  
not for the sad look she wore.  
  
"My name is Ranma Saotome. It's my first time here. I live over  
at Nerima, in the Tendo Dojo. You may have heard of it." Ranma was a  
household name in Nerima and fairly popular elsewhere as well.  
  
The girl frowned for a while, seemingly deep in thought. A few  
seconds later, her eyes brightened considerably and she pointed at him  
excitedly.  
  
"You're that martial artist from Nerima! You fought that guy  
with the umbrella and smashed up half the town!"  
  
Ranma smiled at her and struck a dramatic pose. "Yep, that's  
me!"  
  
The girl giggled and clapped her hands. "Oh wow, that must be  
so exciting! What are you doing over here?"  
  
"Just visiting. You know, looking around and stuff. What about  
you, what's _your_ name?" The girl blushed furiously and bowed.  
  
"My name is Hotaru. Hotaru Tomoe." She moved aside and patted  
the space beside her. "Would you like to have a seat?"  
  
*****  
  
Ukyo gaped and stared at Skuld. It took her a few seconds to   
regain control of her speech faculties.  
  
"Wish granted? What wish? I never made a wish!"  
  
Skuld smoothed over her skirt for a few seconds while she   
gathered her thoughts. It certainly wasn't the wish she was expecting.  
Still, it had potential. This way, she could legitimately pursue her  
goal of making up to Ranma for all the trouble she had inadvertently  
caused him. Suddenly, an idea formed inside her head.  
  
"You wished for someone to help you and support your claim to  
Ranma. I will be that person. I will stay here and help you until you  
are happily married to Ranma." Skuld smiled at her and began the task  
of cleaning the mess on the floor.  
  
"Really? You'll stay here and help me, for real?" Ukyo could  
hardly believe it was true. With a goddess on her side, it was only a  
matter of time before she was married to Ranma!   
  
"That's right. I'll help you win Ranma's heart so you can marry  
him and live happily ever after."   
  
"But how will you help me? You're a goddess, can't you just  
wave your hand and make him mine?" Ukyo was already busy coming up with  
names for her future children.  
  
"I'm afraid I'm not allowed to do that. Even if I was, I need  
access to Yggdrasil to accomplish such a task." Skuld saw the happy  
look on Ukyo's face fade slightly as she said those words.  
  
"I have an idea, though. If my plan works, it won't be long  
before you and Ranma are married."   
  
Ukyo's face lit up again at those words. "Really? What's the   
plan? Tell me!"   
  
Skuld moved closer to her and started explaining. "What does  
Ranma want more than anything else? What is it that he's always on the  
lookout for?"  
  
Ukyo thought for a while. It wasn't that long since she had   
been reunited with Ranma, but it was long enough for her to know   
exactly what Skuld was talking about. "He wants a cure for his curse.  
He wants to be a whole man again."  
  
Skuld smiled as well. She liked Ukyo. Not only was she very  
kind, she was also very smart. "That's absolutely right. All we have  
to do is find a cure for Ranma, and he's ours!"  
  
Ukyo slapped her head in annoyance. "Of course! Why didn't I   
think of that?"   
  
Skuld only laughed. "He's got a Jusenkyo curse, right?"  
  
Ukyo thought for a moment. "Yes, I think that's what he told me  
it was called."  
  
Skuld brought her hands down onto the table. "Then pack up  
your bags, cause that's where were going!"  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
This just gets bigger and bigger. I have so much planned for  
this, I don't know where to start. Please comment! I would like to   
thank Chester, Ash, and Vex for all of their help and suggestions.  
  
Many thanks to Ash for typing those scene separators.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	4. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Ranma, Ah Megamisama, and Sailormoon don't belong to me.   
The only payment I get for writing this is... well... I don't really  
get any payment for this.   
  
Warning: I have a keyboard, and I'm not afraid to use it.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 3  
by Jose Argao  
  
Urd was furious.   
  
Here she was, doing her best to help Ranma find true love, and   
Skuld was trying to spoil it all. She slammed her fist angrily against   
the monitor in front of her, which showed the young goddess of the   
future together with one of Ranma's fiancees. She paused for a few   
seconds, then raised her now swollen fist to cradle it in her other   
hand. Apparently, the Yggdrasil was built to last.  
  
"If she thinks she can get away with a stunt like this, she's  
got another thing coming!"  
  
Ignoring the pain in her hand, she started typing on the   
terminal. It took her a while to accomplish her task, since Skuld _was_  
a goddess, but she finished eventually. With a huge grin on her face,  
she left the terminal and went back to her own desk.  
  
"Let's see you get out of _this_ one, little sister."  
  
*****  
  
"You don't seem to realize just how serious such a drastic  
change in the timelines is. You _must_ give me access to the power!"  
  
The rest of the inner senshi stared back and forth between  
Usagi and Setsuna. They never expected such resistance coming from the  
princess. She was always so meek, so quick to acquiesce to the older  
woman's demands.  
  
"No, I am not giving you access and that's final!" Usagi stared  
right back at Setsuna, not allowing the older woman to intimidate her.  
Across the table, Setsuna seethed.  
  
"Why must you always be so difficult? Do you not see that I  
need to fix the timelines? What part of my explanation can you not  
understand?" The inners moved slightly away from Setsuna as the keeper  
of time glared daggers at Usagi.  
  
"You think I don't know what you're trying to do? The way you  
described it, _all_ the lines lead to you marrying Ranma. You're going  
to throw them all out and replace them. To do that, you need to remove  
the lock on the current timelines."  
  
Setsuna stared in shock at the young blonde in front of her.  
It may not have been completely accurate, but she had just given a more  
or less correct approximation of the process. The fact that Usagi had  
been correct in her assumption of what Setsuna had planned also grated  
on her nerves.   
  
Setsuna decided she liked Usagi better as a klutzy ditz.   
  
"How do you know all this?" Setsuna was able to recover from  
her shock and resume the conversation rather quickly.   
  
"You told me, remember? I asked you how you were so sure that  
I and Mamo-chan were going to get married, and you told me all about  
the Time Gate and how it works." Usagi furiously fought to stay calm.  
Setsuna was scary like this, but she had to be strong.  
  
"In any case, why are you averse to throwing them out?" Setsuna  
appeared unsurprised, but she was shocked that Usagi remembered her   
short explanation all those months ago. At the time, she didn't even  
think the young girl understood half of what she was saying.  
  
"Because, if you remove the lock, Crystal Tokyo may disappear  
completely! The current state of the timelines may not be suitable for  
you, but I'm not willing to take the chance of losing Mamo-chan just  
because you don't like Ranma." Usagi was shaking, but she did not let  
any other signs of her fear show.  
  
"This isn't just about me not liking Ranma. Whoever did this  
is obviously a being of great power. He probably did it to distract me  
from my duties, so that he can continue undetected with whatever evil  
schemes he may have. A being with enough power to do what the Time Gate  
is unable to wouldn't do that just so Ranma and I can get married and   
live happily ever after."   
  
"If this being's so strong, what's stopping him from just doing  
what he did again if you _did_ get the timelines back to the way they  
were?"   
  
Setsuna's face grew red with anger. She did not expect such   
fierce resistance from Usagi. She expected the girl to simply agree to  
her demands without a fight. She expected the inners to fear Ranma  
after seeing his display of power, not swoon over his good looks. She   
did not expect to lose this argument.  
  
She hated it when things didn't go as expected.   
  
"Listen, you meatball-headed little twit. I _will_ bring back  
the timelines to what they were. I suggest you spare yourself  
further trouble by handing me the energy I need now because if you  
refuse I _swear_ I will take the Time Staff and shove it so far up  
your-"  
  
Setsuna was interrupted by a young man tapping lightly on her   
shoulder. She turned to him quickly and glared at him.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Excuse me, miss, but I'm afraid you must leave right now. We  
do not allow such behavior here. Don't you see that there are children   
around?"  
  
Setsuna's cheeks grew red, embarrassed at her show of emotion.  
She picked up her purse from beside her and stood up. She turned to the  
man you had called her attention.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry. I was just leaving anyway." She turned   
back towards the inner senshi and the angry look returned to her face.  
  
"I _will_ repair the timelines, with or without your help."  
  
The inners watched her leave, slamming the door loudly in her  
wake. The group was quiet for a few seconds as they took in the events  
of the past few minutes. Minako was the first to break the silence.  
  
"Wow... I guess it's that time of the month for her, huh?"  
  
The others took that as a signal to facefault, and acted  
accordingly.  
  
*****  
  
"Wow! That was so cool! What happened after you beat Kirin?"  
  
Hotaru was beside Ranma, listening excitedly as he told her  
tale after tale of his many adventures. The stories were fairly   
accurate descriptions of the events as they happened, but Ranma avoided  
talking about his curse. He'd just made a friend, and he didn't want   
her to think he was a freak or anything.  
  
"Well, we finally got the scroll. Turns out it was an ultimate  
technique for making pickles, not fighting. Hey! What's so funny?"  
  
Hotaru was giggling uncontrollably. She was trying to hold it  
in, but failing miserably. Her cheeks grew red and tears welled up in   
her eyes as she laughed harder and harder.  
  
'Well, at least she's happy now.' Ranma looked at the younger  
girl as her laughter gradually died down.  
  
"Well, that was pretty funny how you went all the way to China  
just to get a scroll for making pickles." Hotaru giggled again, but was  
able to stop quickly this time. She was smiling, for which Ranma was   
very thankful.  
  
"Well, I guess it was." Ranma laughed a little himself.  
  
"I wish _I_ could do stuff like that." Hotaru looked wistfully  
at the stars in the sky. They had been talking for a while now. It was  
pretty late. She wasn't worried, though. Haruka and Michiru wouldn't  
be home until after midnight, and Setsuna wouldn't be angry. If she was  
even home, that is.  
  
"Why not? I mean, you're still young. I'm sure there are tons   
of places where they teach martial arts around here. I mean, you won't  
get as good as me, but you'll learn a few moves." Ranma began looking   
up at the sky as well, admiring the beauty of the stars and the moon as  
they shone brightly in the night sky.  
  
"I... I can't. I have a weak heart, I get tired easily. I could  
never do the exercises they make you do in those places. I'd just wind  
up hurting myself." Hotaru looked sadly down to the ground. Tears once  
more welled up in her eyes.  
  
Ranma kicked himself mentally as the girl beside him once more  
began to cry. He didn't mean to make her sad. He just wanted to cheer   
her up a little. He hated these situations. For all his martial arts  
skill, he was unable to help her. He felt useless, for there was   
nothing he could do... or was there? He racked his mind, searching for  
a way to help her.  
  
They stayed that way for two minutes, looking away from each  
other. The awkward silence between them was deafening. Suddenly, Ranma  
slapped his head with his right hand and grabbed Hotaru by both of her  
shoulders, forcing her to face him.  
  
"Huh... what are you doing, Ranma?" Hotaru looked up at Ranma,  
confused at his sudden action.  
  
"Can you meet me here tomorrow afternoon?" Ranma's eyes   
gleamed with excitement as he held her. She could almost see the fire  
burning in his eyes.  
  
"You... you want to meet again? What for?" Hotaru was now more  
confused than ever.   
  
"You'll see, it's a surprise. So can you go?" Ranma noticed his   
hands on her, and immediately let go. He didn't want to scare her or   
anything.  
  
Hotaru thought for a few seconds, then smiled. "Okay, Ranma.  
I'll be here tomorrow."  
  
"Alright!" Ranma raised his fist in the air and stood up   
quickly. He helped Hotaru up and smiled at her.  
  
"We better get going now. It's getting pretty late. Where do  
you live? I can walk you home."  
  
"I live near here, I can make it by myself." Hotaru began to  
walk, but was stopped when Ranma grabbed her arm.  
  
"But I insist. There are all sorts of weirdoes walking around at   
night. I'll protect you."   
  
"Well, if you insist. It's this way." Hotaru held Ranma's hand  
as they walked to their house. She didn't normally behave this way  
around strangers, but she felt safe around Ranma for some reason.  
  
*****  
  
"How long do you think we'll be gone? How much should I pack?"  
  
Ukyo was in her room, busy packing clothes into a suitcase. She  
was still in a daze. It was hard to believe that only a few short hours  
ago, she was all alone in her apartment above the Ucchan's. Now she had  
a goddess living with her.   
  
"Don't pack too much. We'll only be gone for a day or two. We  
might even be done in a few hours." Skuld entered her room and looked  
at the large suitcase on the bed.  
  
"You won't need all that." Ukyo stopped throwing clothes from  
her closet onto her bed and looked at her new companion.  
  
"But you said we were going to Jusenkyo. It's going to take a  
while to get there, and we still have to get back. It's not like we're  
going to Beijing. There are no trains, buses, or planes going there.  
We'll need to hike up the mountains. That'll take at least a week."  
  
Skuld giggled slightly. "We won't need to do any of that. I'm  
a goddess, all we need is to fill up your bathtub."  
  
*****  
  
"So, what was _that_ all about?"  
  
Makoto turned to Usagi, waiting for an explanation. The rest   
of the inner senshi looked at her as well.   
  
"Well, I didn't want to give her the crystal."  
  
Rei's left eye twitched. This was not the answer that she was   
looking for.  
  
"What I meant was, why didn't you want to give it to her?"  
  
"Well, I had to make sure there were no more obstacles to my   
destiny with Mamo-chan. I can't leave true love to chance."  
  
"But what about those things Setsuna said? Shouldn't we have  
listened to her? I mean, she _does_ have more experience with this  
sort of thing than we do. What if she was right? What if something   
bad _does_ happen after Crystal Tokyo?"   
  
Minako didn't like this at all. At this rate, the battle for   
Ranma's affections would be over before it even started.  
  
"We'll deal with that when it happens. The important thing is   
that Crystal Tokyo is still there. As long as it stands, there's still  
hope." Usagi started eating what was left of her sundae, which had  
melted considerably while she was arguing with Setsuna.  
  
"But Setsuna-" Makoto found herself unable to finish as Usagi  
abruptly cut her off.  
  
"Never mind what Setsuna said. I have a feeling in my gut that  
I'm doing the right thing."  
  
"Are you sure it's not just a tape worm?"  
  
The girls all looked at Ami, who blushed under their combined  
stares.  
  
"What?"  
  
Having convinced themselves that they were just hearing things,  
they turned their attention back to Usagi, who had finished her first  
sundae and was working on her second.  
  
"Anyway, Setsuna is just being selfish. She doesn't want to get  
married to Ranma so she's willing to risk my future with Mamoru just so  
she can get out of marrying him. Honestly, she can be so self-centered  
sometimes," Usagi said between mouthfuls of ice cream.  
  
Makoto wasn't about to give up without a fight.  
  
"I still think we're making a mistake. Setsuna has been doing  
her job for ages. I think she'd know what to do in a situation like  
this better than us."  
  
"Why are you all being this way? I thought you were my friends!  
You're supposed to support me, not question my decisions. The Silver  
Imperium Crystal is _my_ responsibility. I'm not giving it to Setsuna,  
and that's final! I'll talk to you guys tomorrow, after you've had a  
chance to think this over. I'm sure you'll all see things my way after  
sleeping on it. It's getting kinda late, and I'm leaving."  
  
The rest of the inner senshi could only watch as Usagi picked  
up her purse, bought another ice cream cone, and left.   
  
*****  
  
Plum went about her day cheerfully. There weren't any tourists   
scheduled to visit today, and she would be getting a reprieve from   
all the crazed martial artists that have been coming lately. She bent   
down to one of the safe springs to the side, and prepared to fill up   
the bucket she was carrying with water. She was just about to dip the   
container in when the water started to ripple and glow. The water   
started spinning, forming a miniature whirlpool on the center of the   
spring. She stared transfixed at the spectacle until something emerged   
from the middle. It was a girl.  
  
Plum stumbled backwards in shock as first, the head and  
shoulders of the girl were revealed. The rest of her body followed  
shortly and she slowly floated towards the edge of the pool. She had  
long, dark hair that flowed freely past her shoulders and reached the  
small of her back. Her clothes were of a style that she had never seen  
before. Strapped to her back was a long mallet. Her face also bore  
markings that he had never seen before. Plum guessed her age to be   
around thirteen.  
  
After smoothing out the curves of the dress she was wearing,   
she turned back towards the pool she came from and shouted into the   
middle of the pool.  
  
"It's okay, you can come in now!"   
  
Plum watched as another figure emerged from the water. This one  
was different from the girl before her. Her clothes were decidedly less   
flashy than her younger companion, and her face had none of the strange   
markings that adorned the younger one. Rather than a hammer, she had   
what looked like a giant spatula strapped to her back. She was carrying   
a small pack, and was looking around the place curiously.  
  
"Wow, it's true! We really _are_ in Jusenkyo!"  
  
The girl with the mallet turned to her companion. "Of course  
we're in Jusenkyo. I'm a goddess, remember?"  
  
Plum slowly stood up. She was used to being around strange   
people by now, but a goddess was something new to her. She decided to  
be friendly.  
  
"Welcome to Jusenkyo, honored guests. I am Plum!" She smiled  
as brightly as she could, hoping that the goddess was pleased with  
her.  
  
Skuld noticed the little girl for the first time.   
  
"Oh, hello there. I am Skuld, goddess of the future. This is  
my friend, Ukyo. We have come here in search of the spring of drowned  
boy."  
  
Plum heaved a sigh of relief. She could easily guide them to  
the correct pool. "I would be happy to take you there, honored guests.  
Please, follow me. It is a little ways off, towards the middle of the  
training grounds."  
  
Plum was happy that all they wanted was to find the spring of  
drowned boy. Lately almost all the guests have been looking for the  
more... exotic pools. As they neared the actual training grounds, she  
began to think that maybe this would be an easy mission, over and done  
with before she knew it.  
  
Such thoughts evaporated when she saw the goddess' reaction to  
seeing the cursed pools.  
  
"Aaaaaaah! So many bugs! They're everywhere!" Skuld retrieved  
her mallet, and began chasing down the bugs closest to her. She managed  
to hit a lot of them, since there were so many. However, for every bug  
she hit, three more would take its place.  
  
"Please, honored guest, calm down! It is very dangerous to run  
around this place!"   
  
Plum shot a pleading look at Ukyo, who only hung her head  
helplessly as Skuld ran deeper into the training grounds.  
  
"Gotcha!" Skuld got rid of her eightieth bug, and looked around  
her. It actually looked as if there were even more bugs than before.  
She promptly started chasing after them again.  
  
"Please calm down, honored guest! These are very dangerous   
springs!" Plum walked carefully along the springs, mindful of every   
step she made.  
  
"Don't worry about me, I'm a goddess! I know what I'm doing!  
I can handle a few- eeep!" Skuld stepped on a bug that had appeared  
under her right foot and lost her balance. She stumbled for a few  
seconds, before falling into one of the springs.  
  
"Oh no! That is the legendary spring of drowned-" Plum found  
herself pushed to the side as Ukyo ran past her to the spring Skuld  
had fallen into.  
  
"We've got to help her! I don't know if she can swim, she might  
drown!" Ukyo held the handle of her battle spatula and thrust it into  
the water.  
  
"Skuld, can you hear me? Grab hold of the handle! I'll pull  
you out!"   
  
For a few seconds, nothing happened. Suddenly, a hand shot up  
from under the water. Ukyo found herself pulled in before she even  
realized what had happened.  
  
"Oh no..." Plum stared at the now still waters of the pool for  
a few seconds, before she stood up and made her way back to her house.  
She wasn't sure how the curse would affect a goddess, but she didn't  
want to stick around to find out.  
  
*****  
  
"Gotcha, serves you right." Urd looked at the monitor in front  
of her, which showed the still waters of the spring Ukyo and Skuld had  
fallen into.  
  
*****  
  
"Okay, Ranma. We're here!" Hotaru stopped in front of a large  
house and pointed to it.   
  
"That's where I live."  
  
Ranma looked at the house, noticing that it was very large. It  
was much larger than the Tendo home. It was also well kept, and looked  
very nice. He stopped staring when he realized that Hotaru had begun  
walking up to the door. He quickly went to follow her.  
  
"Nice place you got here. You must be loaded, Hotaru."  
  
Hotaru blushed and ignored the comment. "Good night, Ranma.  
I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"G'night, Hotaru. It was fun. I'd better get going now." Ranma  
was already three steps away when he heard Hotaru call after him.  
  
"Ranma!"  
  
He turned to see that Hotaru had not moved from the door. She  
quietly walked up to him, and pulled him into a hug. She kissed him  
quickly on the cheek before she relinquished her hold on him.  
  
"Thanks, Ranma, for everything."  
  
Ranma stood speechless as the blushing young girl turned and  
ran into the house. He raised his hand to his face and touched the area  
where she had kissed him just moments ago.   
  
He decided to get going before things got even weirder.  
  
*****  
  
Hotaru closed the door behind her, closed her eyes, and leaned  
back on the door for support. She'd never done anything like that  
before. Her heart was beating like crazy. She could hardly wait one  
whole day to see Ranma again. When she opened her eyes, she found two  
more pairs looking right at her.  
  
"Who was that guy, Hotaru?"  
  
Hotaru looked back and forth between Haruka and Michiru. They  
weren't supposed to be here.   
  
"Um... Haruka-papa, Michiru-mama... how was your date?"  
  
Haruka rolled her eyes and stepped closer to Hotaru.  
  
"Don't try to change the subject, young lady. We saw everything  
from inside."  
  
Hotaru felt beads of sweat forming on her brow. She knew she  
hadn't done anything wrong, but she felt extremely nervous just the  
same.  
  
"He was just... a new friend of mine."  
  
Michiru and Haruka looked at each other and looked back to  
their little girl. It was Michiru's turn to ask questions.  
  
"Friend?"  
  
Hotaru's face broke out into a smile. "Yeah, his name is Ranma  
Saotome. I met him today at the park. I was feeling kinda down but he  
cheered me up. We're meeting again tomorrow."   
  
Haruka's eyebrows raised at the mention of tomorrow's planned  
activities. "Tomorrow, huh? Okay. If it's fine by Michiru, it's fine by  
me."  
  
Hotaru looked expectantly at Michiru. "Oh, alright. You can go,   
but don't be late this time."  
  
Hotaru jumped for joy and gave Haruka and Michiru a hug. "Thank  
you, you're the best!"   
  
She then climbed the stairs to her room. A few seconds later,  
Michiru turned to her companion and broke the silence.  
  
"So what do you think?"  
  
Haruka looked thoughtful for a few moments. "I think we should  
go down there and take a look for ourselves. If this Ranma is who I  
think he is, things could get... interesting.  
  
Michiru thought for a few seconds, then her eyes opened wide   
with realization. "Ranma Saotome? _The_ Ranma Saotome?"  
  
Haruka just walked over to a chair and sat down. "I'm not sure.  
I guess we'll find out tomorrow."  
  
*****  
  
Minako turned to Makoto. "So, what's the deal with your Sempai,   
Mako-chan?"  
  
After Usagi left, the remaining inners did not bother to stay  
for much longer. After finishing their sundaes, they decided to take  
the train back to Juuban.  
  
"Well, I met him a couple of years ago, when I was in the   
fifth grade. I was such a wimp back then, and everyone was teasing me   
because I was so tall and thin."   
  
*****  
  
"Stop it, that's not nice!"  
  
A young Makoto Kino found herself trapped between a wall and  
a group of older boys. One of them came closer, holding a large piece  
of balled up bubble gum. He waved it threateningly at her.  
  
"Who cares whether it's nice or not, it's fun!"  
  
Makoto attempted to make a run for it, but found her way   
blocked by one of the boys. She tries the opposite direction, but met   
with similar results. She felt tears running down her eyes.  
  
"Please stop, my Mom had to cut off some of my hair the last  
time."  
  
The boy brandishing the gum just laughed at her. "By the time  
we're done with you, your mother will have to shave your head bald."  
  
"Leave her alone, you big bully!"  
  
The group abruptly stopped laughing, turning to see the idiot   
who dared to challenge them. They found an average looking boy wearing   
a bandanna on his head and carrying a large pack. The leader of the   
group shook his head in disappointment.  
  
"Oh, it's just some snotty kid playing superhero. Hey kid,  
you better stay the hell out of our business if you know what's good  
for you!"  
  
The group moved closer to Ryoga, allowing Makoto to run to a  
secluded corner and watch the confrontation from afar. She uttered a  
silent prayer to the Kami that the group of bullies would be merciful  
in their treatment of her rescuer.  
  
"You're new here, so I'm gonna let you off easy this time. Just  
give me all of your money and I'll let you go. How's that for a fair  
deal, kid?"  
  
The newcomer just looked menacingly at them. "I've got a better  
deal. How about you stop harassing that girl, and I won't break _all_  
of your bones?"  
  
"Why you little... Get him!"   
  
The group quickly circled Ryoga, who had dropped his pack and  
was now holding an old fashioned umbrella. He was waving it around   
like it was a sword.  
  
"I don't know where you came from, but I'm sending you back!"  
  
The leader of the group ran towards Ryoga and attempted to  
punch the smaller boy. His fist was stopped long before it reached its  
mark when the newcomer swatted it away with a blow from his umbrella.  
The other boys heard a loud crack as every bone in his hand was crushed  
by the strength of the blow. He cradled it in his other hand, tears  
streaming from his face as he shouted at his comrades.  
  
"What are you waiting for! Kick his ass! There's five of you  
and one of him, you can't lose!"  
  
The other boys looked questioningly at each other, then closed  
in on their opponent. Ryoga looked around him and smirked before   
running right at the biggest bully. The larger boy brought his hand  
back to strike at Ryoga, but was never able to launch his attack as  
he found himself with a brand new nasal cavity.  
  
Makoto watched in fascination from her hiding place as Ryoga  
quickly dealt with her former tormentors in painful fashion. She   
gasped as Ryoga stood in the middle of his fallen foes, and walked  
slowly towards the leader, still nursing his broken hand. He had  
fallen to his knees, and was wailing in pain.  
  
"I don't normally inflict this much pain on my opponents, but  
I have a special hatred reserved for bullies like you."  
  
Makoto looked on as Ryoga kicked the boy in the groin,   
eliciting a shriek of pain from the former bully before he finally  
passed out. She then noticed him approaching her. She shrank back   
from him in fear.  
  
"Don't be afraid, miss. I won't hurt you. I just want to make  
sure you're alright. They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?"  
  
Makoto slowly left her hiding place and answered in a soft  
voice. "I'm okay."  
  
"That's good." Ryoga turned to walk away and was already   
hefting his pack when he noticed that the girl he saved had followed  
him.  
  
"Yes, what is it?"  
  
The girl bowed low in front of him. "Thank you very much, sir.  
If there is any way at all that I can repay you, please just ask."  
  
Ryoga smiled at her. "Well, if you could help me find another  
new student here, I'd be grateful."  
  
Makoto stood up and frowned. "Another new student? What's his   
name?"  
  
Ryoga lifted his pack and turned back towards her. "I think he  
transferred here a few weeks ago. His name is Saotome, Ranma Saotome."  
  
Makoto's eyes brightened in recognition. "I know that name! I  
think he transferred to this school one and a half months ago."  
  
Ryoga ran towards her and held her by the shoulders. "Really?  
Can you take me to him?"  
  
Makoto, startled by his sudden action, held her books in front  
of her protectively. "I'm not sure, but I can try."  
  
Ryoga let go of her and looked to the skies, his fist raised  
to the heavens.  
  
"Finally I find you, Ranma Saotome! Vengeance will be mine at  
last!"  
  
*****  
  
Makoto sighed wistfully as she finished telling the tale of her   
first meeting with Ryoga.  
  
"We spent a lot of time together after that. He wasn't really  
older than me or anything but he was so much stronger that I called   
him sempai anyway. It wasn't until two weeks later that we found out   
that Ranma already left town the day before he arrived. He went after   
him and left me. He still went back pretty often though, and we became   
good friends. Then, one day, he broke my heart."  
  
"What happened? What did he do?" Minako was hanging on to every  
word, listening to the tale with great interest.  
  
"Well, it was the last time he came to see me. I think it was  
about two years ago. We were sitting under a tree, eating a picnic   
lunch I'd prepared. I wanted to say something to him for the longest   
time, and I figured that this was my chance."  
  
*****  
  
"Sempai, we have to talk."  
  
Ryoga stopped eating the delicious sandwich Makoto had prepared  
for him and turned towards her.  
  
"What about, Mako-chan?"  
  
Makoto took a deep breath, and looked to him with pleading   
eyes. "You can't go on this way, Sempai. You've been chasing after  
Ranma for so long. You have to stop, it's not worth it anymore."  
  
"But he must be punished for skipping out on our duel all those  
years ago!" Ryoga found himself torn between pleasing the girl he  
loved and going after the vengeance he craved.  
  
"Ryoga, it was so long ago. I don't think Ranma even remembers  
it by now. please, just stop it. Do it for me, Ryoga." Tears were  
welling up in her eyes, but Makoto forced them down.  
  
"But... but Mako-chan..." Ryoga was at a loss, unable to decide  
what he wanted.  
  
"I can't go on like this, sempai. I can't keep playing second  
to this mission of yours. I'm giving you until nightfall to make your  
decision. I'll be waiting for you at the playground where we first  
met tonight at six. I'm going to be there until eight in the evening.  
If you don't come for me, I'll understand. You have to choose, Ryoga.  
Ranma or me, you can't have both."  
  
"But Mako-chan I can't-" Makoto raised a finger to Ryoga's   
lips, silencing him.  
  
"No buts, Ryoga. Just think, and choose. I'll be waiting."  
  
Makoto stood up and ran away, leaving behind her a protesting  
Ryoga.  
  
  
"I waited until ten, actually. He never came for me, and now  
I know why." A lone tear fell from Makoto's left eye, which she  
quickly brushed off.  
  
"Why that little jerk! I'll-" Makoto silenced Rei and regained  
her composure.  
  
"Stop it, Rei. Ryoga has made his decision, and we must respect  
it. He obviously hasn't stopped chasing after Ranma to this day. I  
gave him a choice and he chose his vendetta. Besides, I'm over him now.  
I'm stronger now that he's broken my heart. I learned _one_ thing from  
my experience with Ryoga, though." Makoto's eyes burned with resolve.  
  
"What's that, Mako-chan?" Minako stopped wiping her eyes with  
tissue and blew her nose.  
  
"I learned that if you truly love a man, you must never give  
him a choice. You must be ready to force yourself upon him if you  
must! True love cannot be hampered by such trivial things as his own  
feelings on the matter!"  
  
"Right!" Makoto and Minako balled their hands into fists and  
slammed them onto the table, their eyes burning.  
  
Rei and Ami grew sweat drops the size of basketballs.  
  
"Wasn't there something you wanted to tell us about Ranma,  
Ami-chan?" Rei had heard enough about Ryoga. She could care less if  
Makoto was dumped by the guy a couple of years ago. She had obviously  
recovered well anyway.  
  
Ami sighed. "Never mind that. It's getting pretty late. I'll  
tell you guys tomorrow, when we meet up with Usagi. I have to analyze  
these readings anyway. Let's just go home."  
  
The inners made the rest of the trip in silence.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma rummaged along the various scrolls, artifacts, and other  
junk in Happosai's bag. He had arrived an hour ago to the angry stares  
of most of the Tendo household. He just took it in stride and went  
straight to his room. He waited until everyone was asleep before he   
crept into the small room where Happosai kept his bag of belongings   
hidden.   
  
A few minutes of reading later, Ranma discarded another of the   
badly written scrolls and began reading a new one. His eyes got bigger   
and bigger as he recognized the techniques described in it. He smiled   
as he put the rest of the scrolls back into the bag and replaced it in   
its hiding place.  
  
'Found it!'  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
And the plot thickens even more... I realize I'm introducing   
more questions than I'm resolving them but please bear with me. All  
of your questions will be answered in time. Thanks for reading! I  
would like to thank Ash, Chester, James Merrit, and Seaver for all  
of their help and suggestions.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own nothing, absolutely nothing. After writing this, I  
expect to own even less. If you want to sue, you're welcome to   
everything I own.  
  
Warning: This is not an Akane/Ranma fic, strictly speaking. If you are  
averse to reading things of this nature, stick to the manga.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 4  
by Jose Argao  
  
Setsuna fell to her knees, panting.  
  
Five hours, it has been five hours of non-stop effort on her  
part to bring order to the chaos that the timelines have become. She  
looked at the unchanged scenes in the Time Gate as they seemingly  
mocked her with their resilience. She raised the Time Staff, and  
prepared to begin another attempt to return things to what they once  
were. Closing her eyes and concentrating on the task at hand, she  
willed her energy into the staff, feeding it with the power that she  
hoped would be enough to accomplish the nigh impossible task she  
had set for herself.  
  
The staff glowed with power, and radiated light. The dark  
chamber that housed the gate was filled with light as the keeper of  
time poured vast amounts of energy into it. Beads of sweat formed  
on her brow as more and more energy was expended. Finally, she could  
no longer spare any energy and she collapsed to the floor for the  
forty eighth time that night.  
  
A few seconds later, she looked once more to the gates, noting  
with anger that the visage before her remained the same as it had  
been when she originally started.  
  
Slowly, she brought herself to her feet. Obviously, this   
approach was destined to fail. She sighed in defeat.  
  
'Well, time for plan B'  
  
Raising the Time Staff above her head, she prepared to strike  
at the artifact that she had been guarding for so long. A small part  
of her mind reminded her that this was a futile effort, for the Time  
Gate was immune to mere physical attacks. However, she was already   
beyond reason at this point.   
  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."  
  
Setsuna whirled around in shock, squinting her eyes to make  
out the being who had managed to go where only she was supposed to  
be able to travel.  
  
"Who are you? How did you get here?"  
  
The mysterious stranger stepped into the light, her face the  
only part of her that remained shrouded in darkness. Setsuna glanced  
at the long, flowing robes she wore and realized that they were unlike  
anything she had ever seen before. Her body was beautiful, like a  
finely sculpted statue. Her bronze skin was flawless, and her legs  
seemed to go on forever. Her voice was low and husky, almost as if she  
was trying to seduce you. She walked with an air of confidence that  
Setsuna had only seen in Queen Serenity before.  
  
"My name is Urd, and I am the goddess of the past."  
  
Setsuna raised her staff at the intruder. Goddess or not, she  
had a job to do and she intended to do it. The worst thing that could  
happen would be for the goddess to kill her, sparing her the trouble  
of finding a way out of her impending marriage.  
  
"You are not welcome here. You must leave right now, or face  
the consequences."  
  
The Time Staff glowed threateningly with power. Urd merely  
smiled at the gesture. She allowed herself to walk fully into the  
light, revealing her silver tresses to the Senshi.   
  
"I am still here, guardian. Tell me, what exactly are these  
consequences you speak of?"  
  
Setsuna moved quickly. Her body became a blur as she attempted  
to strike at the silver haired woman who dared to mock her. She was  
feeling angry at the moment, and this was as good a method as any for  
venting. She smiled with satisfaction as she closed in upon her  
opponent. She didn't get her job for slacking off, and Urd was in for  
a world of pain.  
  
Suddenly, Urd wasn't there.  
  
Setsuna stared in shock at the empty space in front of her   
where Urd had been just moments ago. She couldn't believe it! No one  
could possibly be that fast. It would appear that there was a grain  
of truth to her claims of godhood.   
  
"You are slow, guardian. You can never hope to defeat one such  
as I. I am a goddess, you are a mere immortal. Avoiding your attacks  
is child's play for me."  
  
Setsuna glared at her in anger. She attacked again, this time  
using every ounce of speed her considerable powers gave her. She went  
straight for Urd's throat, aiming her staff in a blow that would end  
the match if it were to connect. That was a big 'if'.  
  
Urd disappeared once more, reappearing directly behind her this  
time. Setsuna ducked and attempted to sweep Urd off her feet with a low  
kick. Urd quickly jumped to avoid the attack. Setsuna was not ready to  
give up, however, and followed up with a jumping roundhouse kick that  
Urd easily blocked.  
  
"Is that all you can do, guardian? I am beginning to get bored  
with you. I expected so much more from the one I chose to be Ranma's  
consort."  
  
Setsuna's eyes glazed over in anger. So it was all _her_ fault.  
In front of her stood the being that had caused her so much trouble  
these past few days. She would pay. If it took every ounce of energy  
left in her body, Setsuna would make sure that she would pay dearly for  
everything.  
  
The Time Staff glowed with power as Setsuna charged up all the  
energy left in her body. A bright green glow emanated from her as she  
began her most powerful attack.  
  
"I don't think that's such a good idea. I really wouldn't do  
that if I were you."  
  
Setsuna ignored her. Urd may have been a goddess, but she was  
a very arrogant, careless goddess.   
  
'Annoying too,' Setsuna thought to herself. No matter, Urd's  
own arrogance would be her undoing. Up until now, Urd had waited until  
the last moment to avoid her attacks. It was no doubt some ploy to   
impress upon her how much stronger Urd was compared to herself. Her  
plan of attack relied upon this observation.  
  
Setsuna smiled to herself as she stopped time before releasing  
her attack.  
  
"Dead Scream."  
  
The ball of energy streaked quickly towards Urd, who stood  
motionless as it approached her. Setsuna's smile grew larger as her  
attack moved closer and closer towards the goddess of the past.   
  
*****  
  
Urd was very pleased with herself. Setsuna had proven herself  
to be powerful, tenacious, and above all, beautiful. These were all  
important traits for Ranma's wife to have. She was virtually perfect  
in every way except one.  
  
She didn't want to get married to Ranma.  
  
Urd, for her part, could find no logical reason for this. Ranma  
was a hunk, what more could a girl ask for? That's why she was here, to  
beat some sense into the lucky girl who before long would be Mrs. Ranma  
Saotome.  
  
Her plan was working beautifully, too. Setsuna had bought the  
'mysterious, malevolent goddess' act hook, line, and sinker. Her acting  
talents were truly a force to be reckoned with. Unfortunately for the  
keeper of time, she was a far cry from being Urd's equal in power. Urd  
looked at Setsuna's attack as it hurtled towards her. She had done her  
homework on the senshi. Their attacks were very strong, but almost  
painfully slow. It would be a simple matter for her to avoid them. She  
called upon her powers to teleport her away from her current location,  
but found herself unable to. One thought worked its way into her brain  
before impact.  
  
'Uh oh.'  
  
*****  
  
Setsuna let a triumphant yell escape her lips as the attack   
hit home. The resulting explosion rocked the chamber with its power.   
Setsuna found herself unable to see into the place where Urd was just   
standing. It was a swirl of dust floating about. Slowly, the dust   
settled and revealed a smoking pile of charcoal that used to be the  
norn goddess of the past. She felt elation at her victory, but the  
euphoria quickly diminished as the blackened mess yelled angrily at  
her.  
  
"That's it! Now I'm _really_ angry!" Urd waved her arms in   
opposite circular gestures and chanted in a language that Setsuna  
did not recognize. The marks on her face glowed brightly with power  
before her whole body became enveloped in light. Slowly, the light  
dissipated and revealed Urd, unharmed.  
  
To her credit, Setsuna managed to raise her staff one last time   
before passing out.  
  
*****  
  
"Hmmm, that's odd."  
  
Ami looked through the readings in her computer once more to  
confirm her suspicions. True enough, there were glaring discrepancies  
in the data she obtained from scanning Ranma. By this time, she had  
already ascertained that Ranma was indeed one of the powerful beings  
that she had detected earlier. His energy signature burned brightly  
in Nerima, standing out above the civilians like a wolf among sheep.  
  
His opponent's aura shared the peculiarity of Ranma's aura.  
Although Ami had failed to retrieve as much information from him as  
she had from Ranma, she suspected that he would have given her roughly  
the same data. Quite frankly, she didn't know what to make of it. She  
chewed on the end of her pen, puzzled by the information presented  
before her. She decided to just sleep on it, and think things over  
the next day, when the rest of the inners were present.  
  
*****  
  
"What's going on? Mom, where are you?"  
  
Ranma looked over the Tendo home once more, but was unable to  
find a single person. All the rooms were empty, and there was no one  
in the kitchen, living room, or dojo. He'd already searched the yard,  
and there was no one on the roof either.  
  
"Where did everyone go? Kasumi! Akane! Pops!"  
  
Ranma slowly crept to the door of the bathroom. It was the only  
place he hadn't checked yet. With trembling fingers, he gripped the  
handle of the door. He quickly threw it open, bracing himself for the  
onslaught of projectiles that was sure to follow.   
  
It never came, the bathroom was empty.  
  
By now, Ranma was _really_ getting worried. It just wasn't   
normal for the Tendo Dojo to ever be empty. There was always _someone_  
home at any given time. He would've known if they were going to take  
a trip and they haven't been invited to go anywhere, so where did  
everyone go?  
  
*****  
  
Ranma leapt from rooftop to rooftop, searching for anyone who  
could tell him where everyone else was. He looked through the windows  
of every house he passed, only to find it empty. The streets were   
deserted, and all the shops were likewise devoid of life. The school  
looked like it hadn't been used in years, and the Nekohanten was  
bare.  
  
Ranma stopped in front of the Ucchan's, panting. He had been   
running all around town for a long time, and this was his last chance.   
He looked behind him one last time, as if expecting the missing people   
to suddenly reappear out of nowhere. Seeing no one, he entered the   
Okonomiyaki restaurant.  
  
The door creaked loudly as he entered, and Ranma almost found   
the noise comforting in the midst of the silence that pervaded the  
atmosphere. He ran up the stairs and turned to the hallway. It came as  
no surprise to the young martial artist that it was also empty. He  
was just about to leave when he saw a movement out of the corner of  
his eye. He quickly ran towards the direction of the movement, but  
saw only the shadows cast by objects outside as light streamed in from  
an open window.  
  
Ranma fell to his knees, and buried his face in his hands. Real  
men didn't cry, and he wasn't about to start now. For what seemed like  
forever, the only sound was his own shallow breathing as he fought to  
control the sobs that were forming within.   
  
"There you are, we've been looking all over for you."  
  
Ranma whirled around, and found himself facing a woman he   
didn't know. She wore a figure hugging body suit that left little to  
the imagination. On her feet were dark leather boots that reached up  
to her shins. Her legs were encased in a thin material covered by a   
pattern that he found hard to distinguish in the darkness. Her upper  
body was encased in black leather all the way to the tops of her   
breasts, which were bare. Her arms were similarly attired as her   
legs, with the same design that Ranma could not fully see. Her face   
was covered in shadows, and Ranma could not see through the darkness   
that hid her visage.  
  
Although Ranma was sure that he had never seen her before, he  
couldn't help but feel that they had already met. Her aura was  
strangely familiar, and incredibly powerful. She wasn't even moving,  
yet Ranma could feel her energy swirling around her. Ranma puzzled over  
this for a few moments. It wasn't like him at all to forget about a  
person with _this_ much energy. He looked closely at her, searching for  
a clue that would reveal her identity. He found none.  
  
"Come closer, Ranma. I will comfort you. You do not have to be  
alone anymore."  
  
The mysterious woman stepped closer, revealing her face to an  
astonished Ranma. Who was she? How did she know who he was? Why were  
there bat wings behind her head?  
  
Ranma did a quick double take at that point. True enough, twin  
bat wings protruded from the back of her head, framing her delicate  
face. Further investigation revealed another pair of wings located on  
her back.  
  
Ranma stumbled backwards, startled. He was stopped from going   
further by a pair of arms going around him, snaking under his arms. He  
tried to escape, but found himself unable to resist the feelings that  
the contact incited in him. It felt like electricity dancing on his  
skin as the arms started stroking his chest soothingly. He heard a  
voice from behind him.  
  
"Do not be afraid, Ranma. We are here to comfort you. You do  
not have to be alone anymore."  
  
Instantly, Ranma felt his fears disappear as the arms continued  
stroking him from behind. In front of him, the woman began walking  
towards him. He noticed her long blue-green hair for the first time as   
she came closer and closer towards him. When at last they were face to   
face, her arms stretched out and enveloped him in their warm embrace.  
He felt himself growing calmer and calmer the longer she held him.  
  
"Give yourself to us, Ranma. We can make you happy. You will  
never have to be alone."  
  
The last of Ranma's fears eased from his mind. The woman in   
front of him released his body from her embrace, and cupped his face in   
her hands. The arms behind him never ceased their caresses all through   
the proceedings. The mysterious woman tilted her head closer to him,   
and he moved towards her in return. Closer and closer they went, until   
Ranma could feel the warm breath coming from her slightly parted lips.   
  
*****  
  
"Mmmmm..."  
  
Usagi turned over on her bed, pinning Luna and knocking the   
wind from her lungs. The poor feline squirmed frantically against  
her, finally waking her up by scratching her arm.  
  
"Ow! What'd you do _that_ for?" Usagi rubbed the sleep from  
her eyes and looked at her alarm clock in disgust. It read nine   
o'clock. She yawned and stretched her arms as her cat leapt from   
her bed onto the floor.  
  
"You were choking me to death!" Luna turned up her nose at  
the young blonde and stretched her muscles for relief.   
  
"Well, maybe if you didn't insist on sleeping with me you  
wouldn't have gotten into trouble to begin with." Usagi frowned at  
her pet. Why couldn't she get a nice, cute, non-verbal cat like  
ordinary people?  
  
"Well, maybe if you didn't eat like a pig all the time you   
wouldn't have been too heavy for me to move!"  
  
Usagi opened her mouth to retort but was interrupted by the  
ringing of her communicator. Flipping the device open, she saw the  
face of Ami Mizuno smiling back at her.  
  
"You have to come over to Rei's right away, Usagi. It's  
important. Bring Luna with you."  
  
Usagi yawned sleepily before answering. "Right now? Is it about  
Ranma?"  
  
Ami nodded. "Yes, it is."  
  
Usagi looked at the clock again. It read three minutes after  
nine. She threw a pillow at Luna before finally answering.  
  
"I'll be right there."  
  
*****  
  
"Wha?"  
  
Ranma awoke with a start and looked at his surroundings. He  
was back at the Tendo residence, and the sun had already risen. His  
father was beside him, sound asleep. He looked at the small alarm  
clock beside his futon and groaned. It was late.  
  
'That was _some_ dream.'  
  
He sat there for a while, thinking about the mysterious woman  
from his dreams. She had seemed so familiar, yet he couldn't place  
her. He found his trail of thought derailed when he heard the sound  
of the door opening.  
  
"Ranma, are you awake? I think heard a sound coming from in  
here."  
  
A cold chill swept through Ranma's body as he registered   
Akane's presence of in his room. She couldn't have been still mad  
about yesterday, could she? He gave her a weak smile as he attempted  
to make the best of a bad situation.  
  
"Akane! What are _you_ doing here so early?"  
  
Akane waited for a few seconds before replying. "I want to  
talk to you about yesterday."  
  
'That's it, I'm dead.'  
  
Ranma immediately began scanning the room for an exit. The  
windows were open, but Akane had placed herself in front of them.  
He could make a dash for the door, but the scroll he'd retrieved  
from the night before was in his pack, which was in the drawer by  
the windows. He thought quickly, trying to come up with a plan for  
escape.  
  
"I'm really sorry about yesterday, Ranma."  
  
Ranma uttered a small prayer before bracing himself for  
impact. Akane was sorry, and that meant-  
  
Ranma quickly opened his left eye. "What was that again, Akane?   
I must be hearing things, because I could have sworn you just said that   
you were sorry about yesterday."  
  
Akane's eyes twitched in anger, but she held herself in check.   
  
"You weren't hearing things, Ranma. I really _am_ sorry for   
yesterday."  
  
Ranma jumped up and put his hands on her shoulders. He locked  
eyes with her, a worried look on his face. "Akane, you're not sick or  
anything, are you?"  
  
Akane brushed him off and turned her back to him. "Look, would  
you stop acting like such a jerk! It's hard enough to do this as it is  
without you making fun of me!"  
  
She faced him again, but looked towards the ground, avoiding  
eye contact. "Look, Nabiki told me you were in another district all  
day yesterday. I just wanted to tell you that... What I mean is that...  
I just wanted to say..."  
  
Ranma raised a finger to her chin and raised her head to eye  
level. "What is it, Akane?"  
  
Akane quickly looked to the side, embarrassed. "Please don't  
leave, Ranma. I'd... I'd miss you."  
  
Ranma heaved a huge sigh of relief. It looked as if he'd  
survive today after all. He laughed as he replied to his fiancee. "Is   
_that_ all you're worried about? Don't worry, Akane. I'm not going   
anywhere anytime soon."  
  
Akane's face brightened immediately. "That's great! I'll make  
it all up to you, Ranma. I even made you breakfast!"  
  
Ranma's face went from a happy smile to a look of fear in the  
span of two seconds. He smiled nervously and inched slowly towards the  
pack containing the scroll.  
  
"Akane! You... you _shouldn't_ have..."  
  
The excited girl ignored him as she ran out of the room and  
returned shortly carrying a covered tray. With flourish, she removed  
the cover and revealed... something.  
  
"Eat up, Ranma. I made it _all_ myself."  
  
Ranma slowly picked up his chopsticks and used them to pick   
up a piece of the blackened remains of whatever it was Akane tried to  
cook. He raised it to his nose and smelled it. It had a strange,   
rancid odor.  
  
"Um... what is it, Akane?"  
  
Akane smiled cutely and pointed to the plate the morsel had  
come from. "It's a stack of pancakes. I got the recipe from the back  
of a pancake mix carton."  
  
Ranma examined the piece on his chopsticks. "Aren't they   
supposed to be brown?"  
  
Akane grinned sheepishly as she explained. "Well, I kinda  
modified it to make it more Japanese."  
  
Ranma continued looking at it. "More Japanese huh? Exactly  
what did you do to the mix, Akane?"  
  
The smile never left Akane's face. "It's a surprise."  
  
A few seconds later, her right eye started to twitch. "Well,  
aren't you going to eat it?"  
  
Ranma looked back and forth between the burning stare of  
Akane and the burned mass in front of him. He raised his chopsticks  
to his lips, popped the piece into his mouth, then swallowed quickly  
without chewing. His eyes grew wide and his limbs stiffened before  
he fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
*****  
  
"So she thinks she can blast me and get away with it, does she?   
Well, we'll see about _that_!"  
  
Urd strode angrily towards her terminal, ignoring the curious  
stares being directed towards her. Upon arriving at her post, she  
unceremoniously plopped down upon her chair and began pounding away  
on her keyboard. The angry frown never left her face until hours later,   
when it was replaced by a malicious grin.  
  
*****  
  
"Are any of you familiar with the concept of the Kirlian   
Effect?"  
  
Ami watched as the rest of the inner senshi ignored her  
completely. Usagi was reading a manga that Rei was trying to retrieve  
from her, and Makoto was engaged in conversation with Minako about  
Ryoga. She held her temples in frustration. She hit the table with her   
fist as hard as she could, putting a stop to the various activities  
the others were engaged in.  
  
"(ahem) As I was saying, are any of you familiar with the  
concept of the Kirlian Effect?"  
  
Four pairs of eyes stared back at her in silence. She sighed  
exasperatedly.  
  
"Fine, I'll explain. The Kirlian Effect is seen in special  
photographs that were taken using Bio-electrography. It was  
discovered by a man named Semyon Davidovich Kirlian."  
  
Usagi yawned tiredly, stopping abruptly when she noticed  
Ami frowning at her.  
  
"It is a special kind of photography that shows a luminous   
halo around objects. Some believe these to be photos of the Aura. In   
actuality, they are not. They are just pictures of something called   
the Corona Discharge of an object. However, it was close enough that  
I was able to modify the process to show an objects aura. It's very  
effective, and even shows the outline of the aura around parts of  
an object that have been cut off."  
  
Minako propped up her head on Makoto's shoulder and rubbed  
her eyes. "Well' what does this have to do with Ranma?"  
  
Ami brought out her computer and pressed a few keys before  
handing it to them.  
  
"This is what Ranma's aura looks like. As you can see, there's  
definitely something wrong with it."  
  
Rei frowned. "Ami-chan, I think there's something wrong with  
your computer. These are two auras, one on top of the other."  
  
Ami nodded. "I thought so too, at first. I repeated the process  
many times but I always got the same result. I figured that there was  
something wrong with the computer itself, but it works fine on everyone  
else. Look, here's your aura."  
  
Ami punched a few keys on the computer and the display changed  
to show a female outline glowing bright red, as if on fire. After  
letting everyone have a look, Ami reverted the display back to Ranma's  
aura.  
  
"That is definitely Ranma's aura. If you look closely, you may  
notice that the outlines are composed of one male and one female. I've  
never seen anything like it. I don't know what to make of it. Aside  
from Ranma, Mako-chan's sempai also has the same kind of aura.  
  
A few moments later, the screen showed a male outline with a  
small, faint aura in the middle.  
  
"I'm not sure what that thing in the middle is, but I think  
it's another aura like the one Ranma has. Something's up with the two  
of them, and I'm not sure what it is." Ami frowned and bit her lower  
lip.  
  
"Also, take a look at these readings I took while they were  
fighting. They're much stronger than normal humans, and probably a  
match to our senshi forms as well." Ami turned to Artemis and Luna,  
who had been listening silently to this point.  
  
"Have you ever seen anything like this? Artemis? Luna? Hey,  
I'm talking to you!"  
  
The two cats stood side by side, neither of them paying any  
attention to the frantic calls. The crescent moon symbols on their  
foreheads started to glow, and Ami turned to their owners.  
  
"What happened to them?"  
  
Minako and Usagi could only shake their heads in wonder as  
the watched the spectacle unfold before them.  
  
"I don't know, Luna was fine this morning when I brought her  
here.  
  
The two cats continued to stand still, unmoving. The crescent  
moons glowed ever brighter until the girls could barely stand to look  
directly at them. After a few seconds, the light dissipated the two  
cats opened their eyes. Luna spoke first.  
  
"We have something _really_ important to tell you guys."  
  
*****  
  
"I don't like that one either! Oh, these outfits are all   
wrong!"  
  
Haruka put the frilly dress down on the bed, along with the   
rest of Hotaru's limited wardrobe. "Well, that's the last one. You  
don't have any clothes left, Hotaru-chan. Why are you being so picky  
today anyway? Your new boyfriend will like you no matter what you   
wear, so stop fussing about it."  
  
Hotaru blushed and turned away quickly. "I told you he's _not_  
my boyfriend! We just met yesterday and he said he has a surprise for  
me today, that's all."  
  
Haruka stopped examining the blouse she had picked up from the  
pile on the bed and looked at Hotaru. "A surprise? Hmmm... it's a bit  
early for him to propose to you, don't you think? Oh well, I guess it's  
true what they say about kids these days."  
  
Hotaru snatched the blouse from her hands and put it back onto  
the bed. "For the last time, Ranma is _not_ my boyfriend and we are  
definitely _not_ going to get married!"  
  
Haruka picked up another blouse and held it in front of Hotaru,  
who took it and threw it back where it came from. "Sure, whatever you  
say, Hotaru-chan. By the way, are you going to have a western-style  
wedding or a more traditional one? Have you decided on a design for the  
wedding dress?"  
  
Hotaru looked at the large pile of clothing on her bed and  
sighed. For some reason, all of her clothes seemed so _boring_ to her  
today. They seemed fine before, but now she couldn't imagine herself  
wearing them next to Ranma.  
  
"I can't wear _any_ of these! What am I going to do?"  
  
Haruka looked helplessly at the confused child. Where was   
Michiru when you needed her anyway? She just didn't have the skills  
needed to help Hotaru with her dilemma. It was fun to tease the kid,  
though. She looked so cute when she blushed.  
  
"It looks like you guys could use some help."  
  
Hotaru and Haruka turned towards the door to find a grinning  
Michiru. The new arrival walked into the room and quickly began looking  
through the mess on the bed. Haruka tapped her left shoulder.  
  
"Hey, where have you been?" Michiru shrugged off Haruka's   
finger as she continued searching, holding up a blouse or a dress from   
time to time.  
  
"I've been around." She held up a blouse in front of Hotaru  
then dropped it into her arms. "Here you go."  
  
Hotaru held it up in front of her on the mirror. "This one?  
But I'm not sure that-"  
  
Michiru interrupted her by holding up a skirt under the   
blouse. Hotaru looked at the combination in surprise.  
  
"How did you-"   
  
Michiru once again interrupted her by taking the clothes from   
her arms and pushing her outside. "You'll learn in time, Hotaru-chan.  
Now you'd better shower before your date."  
  
"It's not a date!" Hotaru protested one last time before going  
off to the bathroom.  
  
"Our little girl is growing up." Haruka's arms encircled   
Michiru's waist as they watched Hotaru walking to the bathroom.  
  
"It wasn't all _that_ long ago that we were little girls  
ourselves." Michiru placed her own arms above Haruka's and leaned  
into her lover.  
  
"Did you find her?"  
  
Michiru's eyes closed and she breathed deeply before giving  
her reply. "Not a trace. Setsuna hasn't been seen in Juuban for a   
while."  
  
Haruka frowned. "How about the inners?"  
  
"I haven't asked them yet. Is this something important?"   
Michiru turned around to face Haruka.  
  
"It's probably nothing. She just seemed a little out of it the  
last time we talked."  
  
Michiru walked towards the bed and started putting the clothes  
back into Hotaru's closet. "Don't worry about it. Setsuna's a big girl.  
She can take care of herself."  
  
Haruka smiled. "You're right. I'm worried about nothing. She  
would have told us if something was wrong, anyway."  
  
Michiru smiled back. "Yeah, she's probably out having the time   
of her life as we speak."  
  
*****  
  
Setsuna slowly awoke from her fitful slumber, and groggily  
sat up. She looked around her surroundings, searching for a trace of  
the intruder who had defeated her not so long ago. Finding no trace  
of her opponent, she began to take stock of her surroundings. The  
chamber still bore traces of their violent encounter. She could  
still make out the crater where her attack had hit the goddess Urd.  
She thought for a moment about whether Urd's words were true. She  
sure seemed strong enough to be a goddess, but Setsuna didn't think   
that a real goddess would spend her time interfering with the marital  
affairs of a mortal.  
  
Setsuna gasped at the thought, and quickly made her way to  
the Time Gate. It had escaped the battle with nary a scratch and  
still stood on the same place where it had been for thousands of  
years. Carefully summoning a small fraction of her remaining power  
to the Time Staff, she scanned the Gate for any signs of changes  
made. She gaped in shock as she saw countless possible timelines,  
none of them even slightly similar to each other. She frantically  
searched for Crystal Tokyo, and was shocked to find it in less than  
half of the timelines. How could this happen? She traced the lines  
back farther and farther, hoping to find a clue as to where these  
changes originated. It took her a while, traveling as far back as  
the Silver Millenium to find out what had happened.  
  
A few seconds later, for the second time in less than a week,   
Setsuna fainted.  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Hmmm... well _that_ didn't answer much, did it? I guess we'll  
all have to wait until the next chapter to find out more! I would   
like to thank Ash, Chester, James Merrit, and Seaver for all of   
their help and suggestions.  
  
I would like to thank Ash for his help on researching the   
Kirlian Effect.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I've written disclaimers before. They said that I didn't  
own any of the characters used therein and that I make no profit from  
writing the following material. Treat this as you would those.  
  
Warning: None of the other warnings made sense, why should this one?  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 5  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
"Let me see that photo of Ranma again, Ami."  
  
Ami wordlessly placed a glossy printout in front of Luna. It   
featured Ranma smiling at them shortly after they encountered him in   
Nerima. She didn't normally print pictures using glossy paper, but she   
planned to frame this particular picture and keep it in her room.   
  
Luna looked at it closely, and nodded towards Artemis. "So,  
what do you think?"  
  
Artemis stopped staring at the printout and raised his head.   
His feline features took on a thoughtful look before replying. "That's  
him alright."  
  
"What are you talking about? Have you met him before?" Makoto  
asked impatiently.  
  
The two cats turned to the confused faces of their companions  
and sighed. Luna took a deep breath before answering. "Do you have any  
recollection of a man named Athan*?"  
  
The girls looked thoughtful for a few moments before Minako  
replied first. "The name sounds familiar, but I don't think I know any  
guys named Athan, do you?"  
  
The others all shook their heads in unison and turned back  
towards the two cats. "That was Ranma's name, back when he lived in  
the Silver Millenium."  
  
Immediately, Minako bounced upright and started dancing giddily  
in circles. "Yes! I knew it! He really _was_ my husband back in the  
Silver Millenium! I knew it! I knew it! I knew it! I'd better go find  
him, so we can pick up where we left off!"  
  
The other occupants of the room grew large sweat drops as they  
watched her dance for a few more seconds before sighing contentedly and  
going back to her seat. Luna cleared her throat loudly, turning the  
attention back towards herself. "Well... um... not exactly."  
  
The girls' eyes opened wide with the realization of what Luna  
had said. She hadn't outright denied Minako's words, and that could  
mean any number of things. Makoto picked Luna up with both hands and  
shook her violently.  
  
"What do you mean by 'not exactly'? Was he her boyfriend or  
something?"  
  
Luna flailed helplessly in her grasp, trying desperately to  
inform the excited senshi of Jupiter that she couldn't breath. It was  
Artemis who saved her by answering the question.  
  
"Athan used to be Minako's fiance. You were all his fiancees,   
actually. Michiru and the others too."  
  
Luna fell to the ground on her feet as Makoto relinquished her  
hold on the gasping black cat, her fingers trembling. Rei froze in her   
seat, her eyes locked onto Artemis. Minako silently pondered how she  
would prove to Ranma that she was the best catch. Ami slowly sat down,  
trying hard to keep from hyperventilating. Usagi turned Luna, who had  
recovered her breath by now.  
  
"We were _all_ his fiances? What was he, the prince of the   
solar system? What about Mamo-chan?"  
  
Luna sighed. "Actually, Athan was just a common palace guard.   
As for Endymion, they... didn't get along very well."  
  
The small feline found herself unable to continue as Rei   
interrupted her. "How can the senshi all be engaged one man?"  
  
Artemis chose to answer this question himself. "Things were   
different back then. It wasn't too unusual for men to take multiple   
wives or for women to have more than one husband."  
  
Usagi wasn't done with her questions yet, however. "How can  
that happen?"  
  
Artemis breathed deeply. "Well, it all started when..."  
  
*****  
  
Athan crept quietly along the hallways, carefully avoiding the  
night guards as they made their rounds. He was in high spirits. After  
weeks of effort, Pluto had finally succumbed to his charms. She had  
asked him to go to her room tonight at midnight. He smirked to himself  
as he remembered that after Pluto, Saturn would be the only senshi left  
who hasn't experienced his touch.   
  
When he had first been transferred to the moon, he had feared  
that his old lifestyle of breaking young women's hearts would abruptly  
end. Fortunately, this was not the case. The women in this castle   
proved to be no match for his sugary words and his good looks. In fact,  
they were even more receptive to them than any of his old lovers back  
on earth had been.   
  
"Halt! Who goes there?"  
  
Athan quickly leapt towards the ceiling and clung to it as the  
guard ran over to where he had been. The guard stayed there for a few  
seconds before walking away, muttering about seeing things in the dark.  
Using his martial arts skills to fall to the floor without a sound, he  
ran towards another hallway while cursing himself for his carelessness.  
A few minutes later, he had reached his destination.  
  
Carefully opening the doorway to Setsuna's bedroom, he eased  
his way into it and softly called out to her. "Set-chan, I've come for   
you."  
  
"And we have come for _you_."  
  
Suddenly, the whole room was bathed in light and he found   
himself looking at Queen Serenity herself, flanked by her senshi. He   
felt beads of sweat forming at the back of his neck. They didn't look   
happy to see him at all. Of course, that was understandable given the  
circumstances surrounding their meeting. He was especially nervous of  
young Sailor Saturn, who's powers were rumored to be strong enough to  
destroy a whole planet. He hoped she wasn't _too_ angry with him. He  
watched her as she gripped the Silence Glaive in her right hand.   
  
Athan smiled nervously at the Queen of the Moon Kingdom. "I can   
explain, it's not what it-"  
  
"Silence! You are not to speak until given permission, am I  
understood?"  
  
He immediately fell silent. Queen Serenity continued speaking  
in a normal voice.  
  
"You are charged with seducing the senshi of Mercury, Venus,  
Mars, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune as well as attempting to seduce the  
senshi of Pluto. How do you plead?"   
  
Athan took this to be permission to speak. "With all due   
respect, your highness, we do not have laws against seduction."  
  
The Queen smiled at him. "We do _now_, Athan."  
  
Athan didn't like this. She was calling him by his first name.  
That meant she'd been onto him for a while. Oh well, no use lying about   
it now. "Um... guilty?"  
  
The Queen's smile never left her face. Despite himself, Athan  
found himself admiring Queen Serenity's beauty. She remained silent for  
a few moments longer before speaking once more.  
  
"I have gone over your case, Athan. Your home planet is earth,  
and you were transferred here roughly four months ago. Your performance  
record is exemplary, and you have received eighteen commendations for  
bravery. You have proven yourself to be honest by answering truthfully  
to the charges against you. I have taken these facts into consideration   
while deciding on your sentence. Come forward, Athan, and receive your  
punishment."  
  
Athan walked forward, hoping that the Queen would be lenient.  
  
Queen Serenity began speaking as soon as he was standing right   
in front of her. "I have determined that your problem lies in your lack  
of respect for women. You have toyed with their hearts and feelings for  
all of your life because you think that they are somewhat beneath you.  
I hereby sentence you to live the rest of your life as a female."  
  
Athan's eyes grew wide and a loud scream escaped his mouth as  
his body became enveloped in a bright light. He felt his body begin to  
change. It felt as if he was being stretched and compressed at the same  
time, like he was a lump of clay being molded. Finally, the light began  
to dissipate and he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. He had no   
need to check himself, for he felt the changes as they happened. He was   
now a woman. Hot tears fell one by one from his eyes to the floor.   
  
"Please, just kill me now."  
  
The Queen placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I cannot  
do that, Athan, for it would negate your punishment. You will find that  
you will also be unable to take your own life. You may stay in this  
bedchamber for the rest of the night. Setsuna has been given another  
one."  
  
The Queen started to leave, followed by her senshi. A few of   
them stopped to regard him with looks of sympathy or anger. They had   
already walked a short distance when they heard rapid footsteps behind   
them. They stopped and turned to see Athan running at great speed   
towards them. A few of them noticed that his exertions were having   
interesting effects on his well developed new body. He quickly caught   
up to them and bent down on his knees in front of Queen Serenity.  
  
"Please, your highness, at least give me a chance to regain my  
lost manhood!"  
  
She looked at his pretty features for a few moments, then gave  
him her decision. "Very well, Athan. If you were to somehow win back  
the affections of all the Senshi that you have betrayed, I shall give  
you back your former body."  
  
Upon saying so, Queen Serenity and the senshi continued walking  
and left him kneeling there. It was almost an hour later that he began  
to stand wearily and make his way towards his own room. Setsuna's  
bedchambers were nearer, but he did not want to see that room again for  
as long as he lived. Upon reaching his room, he looked at his new form  
in the mirror. He left this room a handsome, dark haired man and he  
came back a stacked redhead. Still, it could have been worse. At least  
his new form was gorgeous. Maybe he'd finally get some headway with  
that sexy maid assigned to the east wing.  
  
He slammed both fists onto his dresser. He couldn't give up.  
There was still hope. All he had to do was get the senshi to fall in  
love with him...  
  
*****  
  
"What happened after that?" Rei had never heard of a man who  
could make _all_ of the senshi fall in love with him. This was turning  
out to be quite an interesting story.  
  
Artemis closed his eyes and thought for a few moments, then  
a sweat drop appeared over his head. "I forgot what happened after he  
spoke to Queen Serenity. How about you, Luna?"  
  
"I can only remember bits and pieces, but I know that Athan  
managed to earn the love of the senshi after many years of trying.  
Setsuna was the last, if I remember correctly. The engagements were  
never called off, so I guess they still stand."  
  
Ami blushed, trying to hide her face by looking at the glossy  
picture in her hands. It would have looked terribly cute to the others  
if they had seen it, but they were all busy with their own thoughts.  
Minako, in particular, was happier than she had ever been in her whole  
life.  
  
"But what does that have to do with me?" Usagi noticed that   
Princess Serenity was never mentioned. She should have been relieved,  
but she felt oddly jealous of the other senshi.  
  
Luna replied once more. "Well, to make a long story short,   
Athan changed. His experiences as a woman taught him to respect them  
and treat them as equals. It wasn't too long before he managed to  
win the love of most of senshi, and the princess too. He was engaged   
to you on the same night Queen Serenity restored his manhood."  
  
"That's so romantic."  
  
Minako was _sure_ Ranma would fall in love with her now. After  
all, they were engaged. The fact that the rest of the senshi were also  
engaged to him conveniently slipped her mind. She was in the middle of  
visualizing herself in a wedding dress when she was rudely interrupted  
by the sound of Ami's voice.  
  
"That doesn't make any sense. If we were all engaged to him,   
why didn't we get married? Also, why would you remember this _now_ of  
all times? Lastly, why do the rest of us have no memory of him?"  
  
The two cats looked helplessly at each other. Luna answered,  
since Artemis was too busy being confused to reply. "We're not sure,  
Ami. Maybe if you spent more time with him, you'd remember more. I  
don't know why we suddenly have these memories. We just have them,  
that's it."  
  
"Perhaps _I_ might be able to explain."  
  
The occupants of the room all whirled towards the source of   
the newcomer's voice. Makoto spoke first.  
  
"Setsuna."  
  
*****  
  
Ranma slammed against the wall around the vacant lot for the  
fifth time, and fell to the ground. He couldn't believe it, he had   
lost! He, the great Ranma Saotome, had lost to none other than Ryoga!   
He tensed his muscles, willing himself to his feet. However, although   
the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak. All he managed was to get  
on his hands and knees.  
  
"Ranma not strong anymore, no good for Amazon tribe. Shampoo  
go back to China now." Shampoo jumped down from her place on top of  
the wall and bounded off into the distance.  
  
"Wait, I'll get better! I'll get strong again, don't go!"  
  
Ranma's pleas fell upon deaf ears, however, and soon Shampoo  
could no longer be seen. He hung his head low, and barely heard when  
another voice called out to him.  
  
"Look at you, Ranma. You're all washed up! I can't believe   
you'd get this way over that purple haired hussy! Our friendship is  
finished! I don't want to have anything to do with a weakling like  
you."   
  
Ranma looked up and saw that Ukyo was standing over him, a sad  
look of pity on her face.   
  
"Please, Ukyo! Don't leave me!"  
  
Ranma felt a sharp new pain on his face as Ukyo slapped him  
on his left cheek. "Don't leave you? Don't leave you? You left me  
first, you jackass! Well, now it's your turn. Let's see how _you_ like  
being left alone in the world."  
  
"You're such a loser, Ranma. Our engagement is _finished_!"  
  
Ranma felt a sharp pain on the pit of his stomach at the sound  
of that voice. His eyes hurt from the beating that he had received, but  
he opened them anyway. He saw Akane, in the arms of his most hated  
rival.  
  
"You'll never be fit to inherit the dojo, Ranma. I might as  
well just marry Ryoga here." Ryoga hugged Akane tighter against him,  
and laughed at Ranma as he held her. Ranma opened his mouth to plead  
with her to take him back, but he coughed up blood instead. Ryoga  
grabbed him by his pig-tail and pulled on it painfully, raising his  
head to they were face to face.  
  
"You'll never beat me, Ranma. I'm stronger than you now, and  
everyone will love _me_ instead of you. I'm ten times the man you are!  
Oh, I forgot, you're not a man at all!"  
  
At that, Ranma quickly looked down to confirm that his fears   
were true. He was in his female form. He was looking at himself in   
shock, wondering how he had transformed, when he was jolted by a splash   
of scalding hot water.  
  
"Hot enough for you, Ranma? Nothing can help a girl like you  
now. Maybe you should go and marry Kuno!"  
  
Ranma registered from the corner of his eye that Ryoga had   
splashed him with hot water from a large kettle. However, his form did   
not change. He was still female. He was gasping in shock when he felt  
arms roughly lifting him and hands fondling his chest. He struggled  
against his captor, but couldn't get away.  
  
"Do not weep, my pig-tailed goddess. Come with me and we shall  
live in marital bliss for the rest of our lives!"  
  
Ranma screamed. He closed his eyes and screamed louder and   
longer than he ever had in his entire life. He just kept screaming and   
screaming as he felt the arms around him growing slack and finally   
letting him go. Still, he continued screaming. He never stopped until  
he heard the voice.   
  
"Give yourself to us, Ranma. We will comfort you. As long as  
you are with us, you will never be alone." He recognized the voice. It   
belonged to the strange woman from his dream.  
  
He felt two pairs of arms encircling him. Strangely enough,  
he felt completely and utterly safe in those arms. One pair was holding  
him close to a warm female body while the other was stroking his back  
gently. He felt his fears disappear to be replaced by an incredible  
sense of calm. It was as if all of his problems had somehow resolved  
themselves and he never had to worry again.  
  
He opened his eyes.   
  
In front of him sat a young girl with violet hair. By Ranma's  
best estimates, she was about twelve years old. She was the one who  
was stroking his back for him. Her clothing was exactly the same as the  
type worn by the woman from his previous dream. She had the same wings  
from her head and the small of her back. She smiled at him, and he  
found himself smiling back. He noticed that he was once again in his  
male form.  
  
"Isn't this nice, Ranma? Don't you feel good?"  
  
Ranma could only smile and nod as he felt himself give in to  
the soothing voice of the woman holding him. He leaned into her, and  
savored the sensation of complete contentment.  
  
"Do you want to feel this way forever, Ranma?"  
  
He turned and looked into the eyes of the woman holding him.   
She felt so nice against him. He nodded again.  
  
"Then kiss me, Ranma. Kiss me and we shall be together forever.  
You will never be alone, for we will be with you always."  
  
Ranma smiled as he gazed into her eyes. She was always helping  
him, and bringing him comfort. How could he refuse her? Slowly, he  
tilted his head towards her. She smiled at him, and tilted her own  
head towards him. They were so close...  
  
*****  
  
"Ranma, wake up! Please, Ranma, say something!"  
  
Ranma felt himself being shook violently. His head was banging  
painfully against the pillow and there was an awful tasting substance  
in his mouth. He slowly opened his eyes and beheld the worried face of  
Akane Tendo. Upon seeing that he was awake, she hugged him tightly  
against herself. This made breathing very difficult.  
  
"Oh Ranma, I thought you were never going to wake up. I'm so   
happy to see you!"  
  
Akane continued hugging him for a few more seconds before she  
noticed her position and jerked away from him. She turned her face  
away from him, blushing furiously. After regaining his breath, Ranma  
looked around and saw that he was in his room. Kasumi was also in the  
room, and she walked towards him to offer him a drink of water. He  
gladly accepted.  
  
Kasumi smiled at him as he gulped the glass of water down in   
an attempt to get rid of the awful taste in his mouth. He must have  
been out for some time, since they had gone to so much trouble to take  
care of him. Akane's cooking had knocked him out before, but he always  
recovered quickly. It must have been that weird dream that kept him  
sleeping. He didn't recognize either of the strange girls that visited  
him, but they felt familiar to him. He decided not to tell anyone about  
the dreams, they'd probably just think he was being perverted anyway.   
  
He looked at his alarm clock, and saw that it was already three   
in the afternoon. He was late for his meeting with Hotaru! Grabbing the  
scroll from his pack, he took off at a run.   
  
"Ranma, where are you going? Come back!"  
  
Akane's pleas went unanswered as Ranma rushed outside. She  
tried to follow him, but he was too fast. He was already gone by the  
time she got out the door.   
  
"Ranma you jerk!" She shouted angrily and hit the wall beside  
her, nearly punching a hole through it. She ran to her room, closing  
her eyes as the door slammed shut behind her. A lone tear fell across  
her cheek, which she quickly wiped away.  
  
*****  
  
'Huh, what was that?'  
  
Ranma could have sworn he heard someone shouting at him as he  
left the Tendos. He was moving too fast to notice what was being said,  
however, and he decided to find out when he got back. Right now, he  
had to get to Juuban. He left from rooftop to rooftop, using the most  
direct route he could think of. Hotaru was one of the few friends he  
had, and he hoped she wouldn't get angry with him for being a little  
late.  
  
*****  
  
"He's late."  
  
Hotaru sat on the park bench and continued to wait. She was  
getting really worried. She began to think that she should never have   
kissed Ranma the night before. Ranma was one of the few friends she   
had, and she hoped he wouldn't get angry with her for being a little   
too forward.  
  
*****  
  
"So basically what you're saying is that Ranma was never in the  
Silver Millenium. He was put there by this 'Urd' person you've been  
telling us about, who was also responsible for arranging your marriage  
to Ranma to begin with."  
  
Setsuna thanked the Gods that Ami was a senshi. She could   
always count on the young blue haired girl to grasp her explanations  
on the first try.   
  
"That is correct, Ami. Whoever Urd is, she was powerful enough  
to change history and put Ranma into the past."  
  
Artemis and Luna glared daggers at Setsuna. It didn't set well  
with them to have someone telling them that their memories of the past  
were all a lie. "That's impossible, Setsuna. You know as well as I that  
Athan existed and that the engagements to him have stood for thousands  
of years."  
  
Setsuna shook her head sadly. "That may be true, but Athan   
hasn't existed and the engagements haven't stood for thousands of years  
until a short while ago."  
  
The inners regarded Setsuna with confused looks. They all   
started asking questions at the same time.   
  
Makoto was first. "I don't understand. Did Athan exist or   
didn't he?"   
  
Minako came next. "We can still get married, right?"  
  
Usagi managed to go third. "Am I supposed to marry Ranma now?   
I thought I was supposed to marry Mamo-chan?"  
  
Ami was last. "What'll happen to Crystal Tokyo?"  
  
Setsuna raised her open hand, silencing Rei. "One at a time,   
please. Athan existed, but he wasn't supposed to. I suppose you could  
marry him if you still want to after what I'm about to say. Usagi  
can marry whoever she chooses now, since Crystal Tokyo no longer seems  
dependent on her marrying Endymion. Crystal Tokyo appears in roughly  
forty percent of the timelines, and only fifteen percent of those   
timelines have Usagi married to Endymion. Any other questions?"  
  
Rei raised her hand.  
  
Setsuna turned to her. "Yes, what is it?"  
  
Rei smiled sheepishly. "You remember Silver Millenium pretty  
clearly, right? What was Athan like back then? Tell us about him."  
  
Setsuna's eyes slightly glazed over as she began speaking about  
her fiance. "He was quite vain and conceited when I first met him. He  
changed after getting his punishment, though. He became a lot easier to  
deal with and his words of love became a lot more sincere. Oh, and when  
he gazed at you with those beautiful eyes..."  
  
*****  
  
"I don't see why I have to wear this dress. It's the last thing  
I'd want to wear." Haruka gestured to the bright yellow sun dress she  
was wearing as she complained to Michiru.  
  
"That's why it'd make a good disguise, Haruka. Hotaru would  
never recognize us when were dressed like this." Michiru adjusted the  
blue baseball cap she was wearing and smiled back at a young man who  
couldn't keep his eyes off her as he walked past the bench they were  
sitting on. She supposed it was either the halter top she was wearing  
or the tight jeans.  
  
"Well, my disguise is awful. It makes my breasts look big and  
everyone is looking up my skirt." Haruka glared at another young man  
who dared to smile at her. She couldn't understand how Michiru could  
stand the lecherous looks men gave her.  
  
"Haruka, your breasts _are_ big and no one is looking up your   
skirt. Don't worry, I think you look very cute in it." Michiru never  
stopped gazing at the general area where Hotaru sat waiting for her  
date. It seemed that the guy was going to be late. If that guy had  
stood Hotaru up, she would make him pay.  
  
"Really? You think it looks cute on me? Do you suppose I should  
wear these kinds of things more- what?" Haruka stopped and craned her  
neck towards where an attractive young man wearing chinese clothes and  
a pig-tail ran towards Hotaru.   
  
"Hey, it's him!"  
  
*****  
  
Rei never thought she would live to see the day when Setsuna  
would swoon at the thought of a guy. However, sure enough, it was  
happening right before her very eyes. She had learned to expect the  
unexpected from the older senshi, but this caught her completely off  
guard.  
  
"Setsuna, are you alright?"  
  
Setsuna stopped and her face showed a confused expression for  
a few seconds before she stiffened and went back to her former mask  
of aloofness. She cleared her throat loudly and smoothed over a few  
imaginary wrinkles in her skirt before speaking again.  
  
"This is another thing that I came to warn you about. The  
changes may have been made to our past selves, but they are a part of   
us now. I am able to notice the changes because of my time powers,   
but I cannot fight them."  
  
"Are you saying that we aren't ourselves anymore?" Makoto   
didn't like this. If she couldn't even trust herself, who _could_ she   
trust?  
  
Setsuna shook her head. "You are still yourselves, but your  
perceptions and emotions regarding everything related to Ranma have  
been clouded by your past contact with Athan. You've just discovered  
that you are engaged to a man you hardly know, yet you don't feel at  
all troubled by it. Does that not strike you as strange?"  
  
Usagi nodded her head slowly. Now that she thought about it,  
she _had_ been pretty quick to accept the idea of being married to   
Ranma. A few days ago, she would have done everything in her power to  
protect her relationship with Mamoru. Now, however, her memories of  
him invoked no more emotion. It was as if her relationship with him  
had become a mere historical fact. Her thoughts were interrupted when  
Setsuna continued speaking.  
  
"This is why I've chosen to speak to _you_ about these matters.  
Haruka and Michiru haven't been exposed to Ranma yet, so they are still  
unaffected by the change. You, however, have already seen him. You must   
find a way to bring things back to the way they once were. First, you   
must find Ranma and inform him of what I have told you. His status as   
our fiance may attract the attention of a number of powerful beings."   
  
Setsuna was just about to leave when Ami asked her an important  
question, one that she'd wanted to avoid answering.   
  
"Can't you help us, Setsuna? I'm sure that you would be able  
to find Ranma a lot faster than any of us could."  
  
Setsuna sighed and answered her. "I am afraid that the same   
powers that allow me to recognize the changes also make me more   
sensitive to them, so I cannot help you with this. I simply cannot   
trust myself to do the right thing if I was to come into close   
contact with him again."  
  
Even now, it is all I can do to keep myself from teleporting   
to his side, abducting him, ripping off his clothes, tying him spread   
eagle to my bed, and ravishing him for a few thousand years."  
  
Sweat drops grew on the back of the inners' heads before Minako  
found her voice again. "Um... right. Thanks Setsuna. That sure was...  
um... detailed."  
  
Suddenly, Ami's computer began beeping loudly. The senshi  
all turned their attention to it as Ami pressed a few keys and looked  
at the screen. She read the information several times over before  
looking at them with an unreadable expression.  
  
"Ranma's here, in Juuban."  
  
They all looked towards where Setsuna was standing a few   
moments ago, but she was already gone. Usagi took charge of the  
situation by drawing upon her experience as the leader of the group to   
find just the right words that would spur her friends into action.  
  
"Maybe we should go find him now."  
  
Within seconds, they were outside and on their way to the park,  
where the computer had indicated that Ranma was probably headed.  
  
*****  
  
Mousse finished tucking the last of his personal possessions   
into the folds of his robe. The small attic that served as his room   
above the Nekohanten was once again empty. It had finally dawned upon   
him that while Ranma had constantly been learning new techniques, he  
had hardly improved since he arrived in Nerima. He had decided to go  
on a training journey, and there was nothing anyone could possibly say  
to make him stay. He made his way to the kitchen, and saw that the old  
ghoul was there along with his beloved Shampoo. He hated to leave her  
like this, but he had no choice. He had to do this for the sake of   
their love for each other.  
  
"I'm going on a training journey, and there's nothing you can  
possibly say to make me stay!"  
  
Shampoo immediately stopped in her tracks, the orders on her  
tray forgotten for the moment. "You is kidding, right?"  
  
"This is no joke, my love. I must train to defeat Ranma and  
claim you as my bride. I must become stronger so that when I return,   
I shall be invincible!" He adjusted the glasses perched upon his nose,  
and took one last look at the curtain he mistook for Shampoo. He was   
just about to leave when Shampoo unexpectedly spoke to him.  
  
"Go now, Mousse. Shampoo stay here, praying." So saying, Shampoo  
walked past him towards the dining area, where she continued serving  
the customers. As he stared dumbfounded at her, he felt a tap on his  
right shoulder and turned to see that it was Cologne.  
  
"You heard my great granddaughter. Leave now, Mousse. Do not  
come back until you are strong enough to defeat Ranma." After speaking,  
Cologne went back to cooking ramen.  
  
Mousse was out of the Nekohanten and racing through the streets  
leading out of Nerima in less than a minute. He had never expected them  
to be so supportive of him! He had always thought that Cologne and his  
beloved Shampoo thought of him as little more than a slave to cater to  
their every whim. To find out that they wanted him to train so he could  
defeat Ranma...  
  
'I will not let either of you down. I swear, I shall not stop  
training until I am absolutely sure that I can defeat Ranma!'  
  
Back at the Nekohanten, Shampoo and Cologne were discussing his  
sudden departure.  
  
"Mousse being silly. He never be able to beat Ranma. Mousse not   
even half the man Airen is." Shampoo chuckled at the thought of Mousse   
challenging Ranma and winning. It seemed so impossible, so wrong.  
  
"Can you imagine that dumb oaf actually training? He'll never  
improve. His skills are much too dependent on his weapons, and weapons  
can only take you so far. His strength has already peaked a long time  
ago. He'll never be back." Cologne joined Shampoo's laughter with her  
own.  
  
Shampoo looked spared him one last thought before putting him  
out of her mind completely and continuing with her day as if nothing  
had happened.  
  
"Shampoo pray that you die a horrible, painful death on a   
training accident."  
  
*****  
  
* Athan is a name of Greek origin meaning 'immortal'  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Well, the plot thickens. What'll become of our beloved cast?  
Stay tuned to find out! I would like to thank Ash, Seaver, Chester, Vex,   
and James Merrit for all of the help they've given me in this chapter.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	7. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I wish Ranma 1/2 belonged to me, but it doesn't. I wish I  
was making a profit by writing this, but I'm not. Oh well.  
  
Warning: Blue pattern detected!  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 6  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
"Move over, I can't see a thing! What are they doing?"  
  
Haruka tried to push Michiru to the side of the bench. She was  
unsuccessful due to the fact that the aqua senshi was already sitting   
at the edge of her seat, both figuratively and literally. She cursed  
herself for picking the side of the bench where a large tree blocked   
her line of sight towards where Ranma and Hotaru chose to sit.  
  
"If I move any more, I'll fall off the bench. Stop pushing me,  
Haruka."   
  
Michiru was growing slightly annoyed with her blonde lover,  
but she restrained herself from making a big deal out of it. If they  
became too loud, Hotaru might hear them and recognize the voices.  
  
"I'm still not clear on why we have to wear these disguises.   
I mean, if we really wanted to watch over Hotaru, we could chaperone   
her."   
  
Haruka stopped a young man who was going to sit on the space  
beside her with a look of pure hatred. She smiled as the terrified   
youth ran off. That'll teach the little lecher what happens to perverts   
who try to look up her skirt.  
  
"We're wearing disguises because we don't want Hotaru to think  
that we don't trust her."   
  
Michiru sighed as she tried to answer the questions as quickly   
and quietly as possible. Haruka could be such a pain sometimes,   
especially now, when she was trying to focus on watching the cute guy   
Hotaru was with.  
  
'Huh, where'd _that_ come from?'  
  
Michiru paused and puzzled over her little outburst of   
infatuation. She looked at the young man wearing Chinese clothes that   
Hotaru was sitting with. She decided to just ignore it. After all,   
Hotaru's date _was_ pretty cute. There couldn't possibly be any harm in   
recognizing that. She just smiled and continued watching intently as   
Ranma finished what looked to her was a sheepish apology for being   
late. She looked on with interest as he brought out a large scroll and   
showed it to Hotaru.  
  
"Well, if we _did_ trust Hotaru then why are we here, watching  
her?"   
  
Haruka was beginning to get annoyed. Since Ranma had arrived,  
Michiru had been all but ignoring her. She couldn't understand what  
could possibly be so interesting about Hotaru's new boyfriend. Granted,  
he was possibly the same person who had supposedly leveled the district  
of Nerima a while back, but that was nothing she or any other senshi  
couldn't do if they really wanted to.  
  
"Of course we trust Hotaru, it's Ranma we don't trust. By the  
way, from the looks of it, he _is_ the guy from those old newspapers.  
He's even wearing the same Chinese clothes."   
  
Michiru barely glanced at Haruka as she gave her answer. There   
was something about Ranma that she found fascinating. It was as if she   
couldn't bear to take her eyes off him for even a second.  
  
"Switch places with me, I want to see him."   
  
Haruka poked her partner in her ribs as Michiru seemingly   
ignored her. She was beginning to get really annoyed at Ranma for   
getting Michiru all worked up like this. Michiru rolled her eyes and   
stood up.   
  
"Fine, go look all you want."  
  
Haruka frowned as they switched places. Michiru seemed to be  
really annoyed at having to switch places. If she didn't know better,   
she'd almost be jealous of the guy.   
  
When she finally got a look at him, however, she understood   
Michiru's feelings completely. Whoever this new boyfriend of Hotaru   
was, he was gorgeous!  
  
*****  
  
"Ranma, are you _sure_ this can help me get better?"  
  
Hotaru looked back and forth between Ranma and the scroll that  
lay open before her. She wanted to believe that this was really the  
answer to her problems, she really did, but it was just too... strange  
to be true. She wasn't sure if Haruka or Michiru would approve of some  
of the steps in the procedure too.  
  
"Um... I guess."  
  
Ranma's face grew red as he continued to read what was in the   
scroll. He wished that he had taken the time to read the whole scroll   
before showing it to Hotaru. Knowing Happosai, he should have known   
something like this would happen. If only he hadn't spent the morning   
dreaming about strange women with bat wings on the back of their heads!   
  
He stopped thinking when he felt Hotaru tapping on his  
shoulder.  
  
"Ranma, I don't think we can do this at all. These pressure  
points you have to touch... they're a bit... personal, don't you   
think?"  
  
Ranma's blush grew brighter under her stare as he frantically  
searched for a way out of the embarrassing situation. He had known that  
Happosai used pressure points to do the technique on Hinako-sensei, of  
course, but he had no idea what those pressure points were. Looking at  
the scroll now, it's no wonder Hinako-sensei blocked the memory from   
her mind.   
  
Suddenly, an idea came to him.  
  
"Listen, Hotaru. I've got this cousin who lives near here. Her  
name is Ranko, and I was thinking that she could help you with this  
instead of me. I mean, it's no big deal if it's another girl touching  
you, right?"  
  
Hotaru blushed as well. Her experiences with Haruka and Michiru  
had taught her that it definitely _was_ a big deal when another woman  
touched you. She decided not to say anything, however. She certainly  
didn't want Ranma thinking that she was a pervert.  
  
"Sure, Ranma. I guess there's nothing wrong if it's another  
girl. We still need to go buy a new fuku though."  
  
Ranma had been following her words perfectly, right up to the   
point where she wanted to go shopping. Why would she want to shop for   
a new uniform at a time like this?   
  
"Hotaru, why would you need to buy a new fuku?"  
  
Hotaru turned away from him shyly and indicated a small note  
written at the side of the scroll. He squinted his eyes to read it,  
as the handwriting was barely understandable.  
  
'In order for this technique to be successful, the subject must   
be a beautiful female. She should lie prone on a flat surface wearing   
only a fuku with a skirt that shows at least ninety percent of the leg   
area.'   
  
Ranma silently cursed the lecherous master of his father and  
Mr. Tendo as he read more of the small notes scattered throughout the  
border of the scroll. They were so badly written that he had taken  
them to be some sort of design around the scroll. Most of them were   
unreadable, but some of the more recent ones were still a bit legible.  
  
"Hotaru, something tells me that we can ignore these little  
notes on the sides."  
  
Hotaru heaved a sigh of relief. She still wasn't entirely  
comfortable with the idea of Ranma's cousin poking and prodding her,  
but she felt better now that she knew she didn't have to do some of  
the more daring things the notes indicated.  
  
*****  
  
"Hmmm, she's a little young, but she'll do."  
  
Urd watched with glee as Ranma carried on with his date.   
She would have preferred someone older like Setsuna, but the  
young senshi of Saturn would do nicely as well. She was certainly   
cute enough, and would grow to be extremely powerful.  
  
Then again, Ranma might choose one of the other senshi to be  
his wife. In Urd's eyes, they were all very good candidates. They were  
reasonably strong, and attractive as well.   
  
'Maybe he'll even find a way to marry _all_ of them!'  
  
Putting Ranma into the past had been a master stroke for her.  
Not only did it open up a whole new world of possibilities for him, it  
also put that annoying senshi of time in her place. Urd laughed at the  
sad plight that awaited Setsuna. She would delay the change for as long  
as possible, but it would inevitably consume her. Sooner or later, she  
would be hopelessly in love with Ranma. By that time, however, Ranma  
would have already hooked up with another senshi. Perhaps he would even  
be married to the princess.  
  
Of course, there was always the possibility that Setsuna would  
realize the error of her ways and embrace the change. In that case, Urd  
would be willing to forgive and forget. It was definitely a win-win   
situation for the goddess of the past. Things were going better than   
she had ever dreamed. She decided to reward herself with a bottle of   
sake for a job well done and went off to get one from her room.  
  
*****  
  
Michiru was waiting impatiently for her turn to watch when  
Haruka suddenly turned to her and grabbed her by her shoulders.  
  
"Haruka, what's wrong? What are you... mmmph!"  
  
Time stood still for Michiru as she felt Haruka draw her into  
a tight embrace. The kiss had been sudden, catching her by surprise.  
It was also intense, however, and she soon found herself melting into  
the arms of her lover. Thoughts of remaining undercover formed at the  
back of her mind, but were ignored as she gave in to the wonderful  
feelings she was enjoying. Finally, just as abruptly as it started, it  
was over. She was left gaping at Haruka as she felt the herself being  
released from the embrace. Haruka was now sitting quietly on her side  
of the bench, thinking.   
  
'Obviously, I still like Michiru so I haven't suddenly turned  
straight. So, am I bisexual now?'  
  
Haruka looked around her and carefully examined every male in  
sight. None of them sparked any interest in her. They were the same old  
bland men she had grown accustomed to ignoring. Of course, they weren't  
really attractive to begin with, so perhaps they just weren't her type.  
She imagined herself with several teen idols she had seen Hotaru watch  
on television. The thought repulsed her, and she let out a sigh of  
relief. She wasn't straight, and she wasn't bi.  
  
So where did her reaction to Ranma come from?  
  
She looked towards Ranma and Hotaru again, concentrating on the  
young man in Chinese clothing. He was fairly muscular, but not too much  
so. His hair was tied in a pig tail, which was unusual, but it suited  
him nicely. The amazing thing about him was his complexion. He looked  
virtually scar free. She would have expected a man with his reputation  
for getting into fights to be riddled with scars. Finally, he exuded a  
strange charm that made her want to trust him, though she had never  
seen him before in her life. He was a man among men, if she had ever  
seen one.  
  
Haruka smiled to herself.  
  
Ranma was obviously cut above the rest of the male population.  
She would have to be blind not to notice that. This was no different  
from the times that some women would notice and acknowledge the beauty   
of another member of their own sex. It certainly didn't come from any   
sexual desire for men. Satisfied with her rationalization, she settled   
down for a nice session of Ranma watching.  
  
Beside her, Michiru was still recovering from the kiss. It   
didn't look like anyone had seen them, and for that she was thankful.  
Still, it was so sudden that she still couldn't believe it had really  
happened. Now Haruka was sitting on her side with that silly grin on  
her face as if nothing had happened. Worst of all, that damned tree  
was blocking her view of Ranma! She got up and turned towards Haruka,  
who was now staring intently at the date as it unfolded.  
  
"I'm going to buy a soda. Do you want anything?"  
  
Haruka just waved her off. "No thanks, I'm fine. Don't take too  
long, okay?"  
  
As Michiru made her way towards the vending machines, Haruka  
continued watching Ranma. He seemed nice enough, from what she could   
see. He also hadn't tried to do anything inappropriate with Hotaru,  
which was a big plus for him. She decided that she would allow Hotaru  
to date this boy. After all, if Hotaru was going to end up with a man,  
she'd want him to be someone like Ranma.  
  
*****  
  
"Tell me about Ranko, Ranma."  
  
Hotaru smiled nervously at Ranma after asking the question.  
Despite the fact that this was definitely _not_ a date, it was as close  
to one as she had ever gotten. She wasn't really sure how to act, and  
she wanted to make a good impression on him.  
  
"Well, she's a bit shorter than me. She has red hair, and she's  
really cute. She's also almost as good at martial arts as I am. She   
knows everything I know. She's also a very good cook. Wait till you   
meet her, she's just great!" Ranma spoke with great enthusiasm, beaming   
with pride as he described himself.   
  
"Oh, I'm looking forward to meeting her then." Hotaru gave  
Ranma a genuine smile as she said this. If Ranko was even half as nice  
as Ranma made her out to be, she would make a great friend. Hotaru  
hoped she could be good friends with Ranko. There were so many things  
she wanted to know about Ranma, but was afraid to ask. It was at this  
point that she heard Ranma's stomach growl loudly. He grinned at her  
and scratched the back of his head as he spoke.  
  
"So, are you hungry?"  
  
All that running around had finally caught up with him. He  
hadn't noticed until now, but he was hungry enough to eat a whole cow,  
literally.   
  
"Sure, Ranma, let's go."  
  
Ranma quickly rolled up the scroll and got to his feet,   
extending his hand to Hotaru to help her up. She shyly took it and   
marveled at the ease with which he pulled her into a standing position.   
Side by side, they made their way towards the vending machines.  
  
*****  
  
"Hey, they're walking away!"  
  
Haruka slapped Michiru on her back as she said this, causing  
her to gag on her drink. She coughed and sputtered as the soda fizzed   
in her throat. It was only through a Herculean effort on her part that   
she avoided squirting it out through her nose.  
  
"You needn't have hit me quite so hard, Haruka. I spilled the  
soda all over myself."  
  
Michiru reached into her purse and produced some tissue paper,  
which she used to dab at the soda on her top. A passing teenager tried  
to get a look at her as she cleaned up, but a look from Haruka made  
him quickly reconsider his voyeuristic plans.  
  
"I'm sorry, but they're getting away."  
  
Michiru looked at herself and sighed. At least the soda had   
been colorless, so there were virtually no stains on her top. She took  
a deep breath, calming herself before she spoke.  
  
"That's alright, I'm fine now. Let's follow them."  
  
The pair quietly got up and proceeded to follow Ranma and  
Hotaru as they walked ahead.  
  
*****  
  
"So, what do you want?"  
  
Ranma gazed at his companion as Hotaru made up her mind. He   
hoped she would choose something fairly cheap. He wasn't exactly   
loaded.   
  
"I think I'll have a can of soda and a bag of potato chips."  
  
Ranma inwardly rejoiced. This truly was his lucky day. Not  
only did Hotaru accept his excuse for being late without questions,  
she had believed him when he explained about the scroll, too. Now  
she had just picked the cheapest food out of all her choices. He was  
starting to really like this girl. It was a refreshing experience to  
be with someone who actually listened to you when you talked and  
believed what you said. He smiled at her as he bought two bags of  
potato chips and two cans of soda. He bought himself a candy bar too,  
with the rest of his money.  
  
"Is that for me, Ranma?"  
  
Ranma looked back and forth between Hotaru and his candy bar.  
He didn't have any more cash on him, so buying another one was out of  
the question. He sighed before giving in.  
  
"Of course it is, Hotaru."  
  
Hotaru blushed. No guy had ever bought chocolate for her   
before. It was almost as if they were on a date.  
  
*****  
  
"Would you _look_ at them. He's not even holding her hand! At  
this rate, he'll _never_ get into Hotaru's pants."   
  
Haruka paused after saying this, wondering if she had really   
said that out loud. The look Michiru was giving her told her that she   
had.  
  
"Which is good, because we _don't_ want him doing anything of  
the sort."   
  
Haruka smiled at Michiru, hoping that her partner would just  
let it go and pretend that the past ten seconds never happened.  
  
"Never mind, it doesn't matter. You're right, anyway. Ranma is  
evidently harmless, and I can see no reason for us to stop him from  
seeing Hotaru. Hotaru seems happy enough about it. Perhaps it's best  
that we return home."   
  
Michiru turned to Haruka, who was still watching Ranma and   
Hotaru as they ate.  
  
"I guess you're right. Let's get out of here."   
  
Haruka took one last look at Ranma before leaving, Michiru at   
her side.  
  
"Oh, and about that kiss you gave me a while ago..." Michiru   
looked at Haruka with a gleam in her eye.  
  
"Yeah, what about it?" Haruka grinned, recognizing the gleam  
for what it meant.  
  
"Once we get home, why don't we continue where we left off?"  
  
Michiru wrapped herself around one of Haruka's arms and leaned   
into the blonde's ear as she said this.  
  
"I don't see why not."   
  
The two of them walked a lot faster after that.  
  
*****  
  
"Where is he?"   
  
Minako spared a glance at her companions as she looked around  
her for Ranma. They had been looking for a while, but with no success  
to speak of.   
  
"I haven't found him yet. He shouldn't be too hard to find,  
though. Most guys don't wear their hair in pigtails."   
  
Makoto continued looking, silently wishing that Minako would  
stop asking if they had found Ranma every three minutes. They had been  
looking for all of ten minutes, and she was acting like they had been  
wandering for hours.  
  
"I'm sorry, this is all _my_ fault."   
  
Ami's face was red, and she was following her friends from a  
distance. She couldn't believe she had left her computer at the temple.   
She'd never done that before. It was so embarrassing. What was even   
more embarrassing was that she was still clutching the glossy photo of   
Ranma in her hands. She had forgotten to leave it, and she didn't want   
to fold it so that it would fit in her pockets.  
  
"That's okay, Ami. We'll find him sooner or later, so don't  
worry about it. Everyone makes these kinds of mistakes."  
  
Usagi continued looking for Ranma as she consoled Ami. She   
could hardly believe what had happened herself. It just wasn't like   
Ami to forget her computer. She _always_ brought it along no matter   
where she went.  
  
"Less talking, everyone. More looking."  
  
Rei was annoyed. Instead of helping her look for Ranma like  
they _should_ have been doing, her friends were too busy with their  
own petty concerns. She was just about to complain again when she  
heard a loud explosion, followed by the sound of people running.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
Makoto turned to Ami, expecting the blue haired girl to know  
what had happened. She got a blank stare in return instead. She cursed  
as she remembered that the computer was not with them. She turned to  
Usagi instead, who was already running towards the women's rest rooms,  
which were conveniently located near them.  
  
"Everyone come with me and transform. I think were under  
attack!"  
  
Makoto and the rest of the inners wasted no time in following  
her example.  
  
*****  
  
"Hotaru, stay here! Don't move until I tell you to."  
  
Ranma leapt to his feet with superhuman speed, putting himself  
between Hotaru and the source of the sudden noise. People were starting  
to panic, and he wasn't sure what to do. He jumped into the branches of  
the tree they were sitting under and looked around. He couldn't see  
what could have caused the explosion, but he could see people running  
away from a single general area.   
  
"Ranma, what happened? Can you see anything from up there?"  
  
Hotaru stood still, holding Ranma's scroll in her hands as   
she watched Ranma scanning the park for signs of the explosion. She  
was scared, but she didn't want to panic. Suddenly, Ranma leapt from  
his perch and landed beside her. She felt herself being lifted easily  
and carried away. A few seconds later, she was behind a large group   
of trees and Ranma was standing beside her.  
  
"You stay here. I'm going to find out what's happening. Don't  
follow me."  
  
Before Hotaru could answer, Ranma had already left. She could  
still see him running towards the center of the park though. Hotaru  
didn't like this one bit. She had a bad feeling about this.  
  
She decided to follow him.  
  
*****  
  
"Yeeeeeeeeee!"  
  
The youma watched another human run away in fear from her high  
pitched wail. She silently wished she could make another sound,   
preferably something with more than one syllable. Somehow, the sound   
just didn't strike her as being particularly impressive. Alas, such was   
not the case, and she was stuck yelling the same old unintelligible   
sound for the rest of her life.   
  
Whatever she lacked in conversational skills, however, she more   
than made up for in sheer firepower. At least, she liked to think so.   
The discs covering the more interesting parts of her anatomy could be   
fired off at high speeds, exploding upon impact. The discs would then  
be instantaneously replaced by other discs, which could also be fired  
off. These discs were capable of explosions that would rival any hand  
grenade the humans could make. Being a youma, she was also blessed with  
incredible strength and speed. She was, for all intents and purposes,   
a living weapon.  
  
All that, and she had great legs.  
  
It was one of the great frustrations of her life that no one   
ever noticed or commented on her great legs. It wasn't as if she didn't   
take good care of them. In her own not so humble opinion, they were   
quite beautiful. They were free of any unsightly blemishes, as well as   
long and well formed. They seemed to go on forever, and probably would   
have looked great if she ever took the time to wear a bikini. She   
stopped wreaking havoc long enough to admire herself in a mirror, and   
was pleased with what she saw.  
  
True, her hair may have been an unnatural shade of pink, but  
so was just about any other girl's these days. Her waist was trim and  
her stomach was flat as a board. Her hands were small and dainty, with  
nails that she worked hard to avoid accidentally breaking. She wore  
tasteful pink boots on her feet, which were almost (but not quite) as  
beautiful as her legs. She wore bright pink bands on both of her arms,  
and a similarly colored choker on her neck. She had on a matching pink  
bikini, and the numerous discs covering her upper body completed the  
ensemble. She was a perfect specimen of beauty in every way.  
  
"Yeeeeeeeeee!"  
  
Well, every way but one. She was sure that if she could just  
lose the stupid wail men would be all over her trying to win her heart.  
However, since that was out of the question, she had to resort to more  
violent measures to attract men's attention.  
  
She didn't particularly relish committing acts of violence. It  
had been her pacifist nature that allowed her to survive while the rest  
of her kind died in the service of Beryl. She had since chosen to lie  
low, feeding off of whatever dark energy came her way and trying to  
peacefully coexist with the human population. If only the young man she  
had chosen as her mate had accepted her when she revealed herself to  
him, all would have been well. But no, he had to run off screaming like  
a baby at the first sight of her. She didn't like being rejected, not  
one bit.  
  
This was why she was here now, indiscriminately firing off her  
discs and scaring the humans away with the only sound she had ever been  
able to make. It was great therapy for her, and she felt much better  
already. She was just about to fire off another disc when a powerful  
blow sent her sprawling on the ground. She looked up to see a young  
man wearing Chinese clothes staring at her with a determined look. His  
body was held in a loose defensive stance, and his eyes were looking  
directly at her. She blushed under his scrutiny.  
  
He looked so manly!  
  
Yes, he would do. That other guy was nothing compared to this  
one. This man had all the qualities she was looking for in a mate. He  
was a male with humanoid features and he wasn't running away from her,  
that was good enough. However, his actions indicated that he was rather  
averse to the idea of mating with her. No matter, it would be easy to   
persuade him.  
  
That was when she began her attack.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma didn't know what to make of the strange creature that  
was approaching him. It was vaguely female in shape, and was wearing   
some sort of pink uniform decorated with what looked like compact   
discs. It had apparently caused the disturbance by using the explosive  
discs strapped to her chest to scare the people into running away. All   
that, and it was making a horrible wailing sound that reminded him of   
the time Ms. Hinako had scratched her nails on the blackboard back at   
Furinkan High. It had nice legs, though, he had to give it that.  
  
It was apparently trying to tackle him. He dodged it easily  
by jumping into the air and landing a short distance behind it.   
  
"Yeeeeeeeeee!"  
  
It looked pretty angry now. For a few seconds, Ranma wondered  
whether or not he should try to catch the discs it was now firing at  
him. He decided against it, and dodged them instead. It proved to be  
a good idea too, since they exploded once they hit the clump of trees  
behind him. It looked like this thing was playing for keeps, so he had  
to get serious. He ran towards it, dodging the discs that it continued  
to fire at him. Once it was within arm's length, he unleashed his own  
special attack.  
  
"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"  
  
Hundreds of blows hit the youma within the span of a few   
seconds, knocking it into the ground. It was up again immediately,  
running towards him to continue the fight. Ranma almost chuckled at  
its lack of speed. This was like fighting Akane.  
  
*****  
  
"Yeeeeeeeeee!"  
  
The youma was pissed. She couldn't understand how a mere human  
could move so fast. Even with her enhanced speed, he was avoiding her  
blows with ease. He hadn't even broken a sweat yet. Quick as he was,  
though, he wasn't very smart. He wasn't attacking at all, and he was  
backing up in a slowly shrinking spiral as he avoided her attacks.  
Sooner or later, they would get to the center. When that happened, he  
would have nowhere left to run. Suddenly, just as they had reached the   
center, he raised his fist and shouted.  
  
"Hiryu Shoten Ha!"   
  
The massive whirlwind that erupted from the ground had startled  
her, but it was nothing. She could fall from heights much higher than  
the wind could carry her with no ill effects. She was figuring out what   
to do once she got beck to the ground when she heard him shouting   
again.  
  
"Mouko Takabisha!"  
  
She looked down and saw a massive ball of Ki headed straight  
for her. In her current position, it would be impossible to avoid. She  
closed her eyes and waited for death to overcome her. There were no  
regrets in her heart as she resigned herself to her fate. Better to  
have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma watched the being burst into a shower of light upon  
coming into contact with his Ki attack. He had never seen such a thing  
happen before, and he found it fascinating. He was in the midst of  
admiring the last vestiges of the light show when he heard someone  
yelling his name.  
  
"Ranma! Ranma Saotome!"  
  
He turned around, and saw a group of girls in strange uniforms  
running towards him. They looked vaguely familiar, but it wasn't until  
they were much nearer that he finally recognized them.  
  
"Hey, you're the girls from yesterday! What are you doing so  
far from Nerima?"  
  
They looked at him nervously for a few seconds, sweat drops  
visibly forming on their heads. Finally, the blonde with the strange  
hair style spoke to him.  
  
"Um... I am afraid you have us confused with a different group  
of girls. I am Sailor Moon, and I have never been to Nerima. They are  
the rest of the Sailor senshi, and they have never been to Nerima as  
well. Isn't that right, Sailor Mercury?" Usagi turned the conversation  
over to Ami, who blushed under the combined stares of Ranma and her  
friends.  
  
"Yes, that is correct." Ami shifted her weight repeatedly from  
one foot to the other, her face a bright shade of red. She hoped Ranma  
wouldn't notice the picture she was hiding behind her.  
  
"...right." Ranma decided to play along with them. If they  
wanted to play secret identity like P-chan, that was fine by him.  
  
"Anyway, what did you come here for? Did you come to cheer me  
on?"   
  
"Of course not! Whatever gave you _that_ idea?" Athan or not,  
Ranma was turning out to be a big jerk. Rei decided that she liked him  
a little bit less than she had before.  
  
"Well, you're dressed for it."   
  
The senshi all stopped and looked at their respective uniforms,  
additional sweat drops forming behind them.  
  
"These uniforms are not for cheerleading. We wear them to fight  
evil."  
  
Ranma looked at them thoughtfully, taking note that the ones  
in green and yellow winked at him as he looked at them and that the one  
in blue was about to die of embarrassment.   
  
"I see, they distract the opponent so you can strike while  
they're wondering why you're half-naked. Very clever."  
  
Usagi and the others would have face faulted, if they weren't  
so busy blushing. Ami in particular was starting to feel woozy from the  
lack of blood going to parts of her body other than her face.   
  
"That's not exactly right, either. You see, we're the defenders  
of love and justice. We came here to vanquish whatever caused all this  
destruction."  
  
Ranma smirked at her. "Well, you're too late. I already beat  
it."  
  
Usagi grew wide eyed at this. "Really? You beat it all by  
yourself? What was it anyway?"  
  
Ranma grinned. "It was just some weird monster. It wasn't very   
strong anyway."  
  
Usagi looked at him for a few more moments before speaking  
again. "I guess we should get going then."  
  
Ranma shrugged. "I guess you should."  
  
Usagi turned towards her companions. "Well, let's go."  
  
Ranma watched them go with a mixture of curiosity and   
amusement. They didn't actually think those disguises fooled anyone,  
did they? He decided to just leave it alone. He was just about to go   
and pick up Hotaru when he felt someone tapping on his shoulder. He  
turned around and came face to face with Hotaru herself. He suddenly  
found himself held in a tight embrace by the young girl.  
  
"You were so great, Ranma! That thing never stood a chance!  
Was that the Amazon technique you were telling me about before?"  
  
Ranma quickly broke free from her grasp and held her at arm's  
length. "I thought I told you to stay where you were."  
  
Hotaru looked at him with sad puppy dog eyes. "I'm sorry. Are  
you mad at me, Ranma?"  
  
Ranma looked at her and found himself unable to utter a single  
harsh word towards the helpless girl in front of him. He sighed and let  
go of her. "Naw, I'm not mad. Don't worry about it. Maybe I should take  
you home. It's starting to get dark, and you have school tomorrow."  
  
"Okay, Ranma. Thanks for today, it was fun." Hotaru held onto  
his arm, much to Ranma's discomfort.  
  
"Yeah, sure. Let's just go."  
  
*****  
  
"What if he doesn't use this exit? We'll miss him! I can't  
believe we forgot to tell him about the engagements!"  
  
Makoto crossed her arms in front of her and silently seethed.  
They had acted like a bunch of idiots in front of Ranma. She hadn't  
even said a word!   
  
"Let's just stop complaining and look for him, okay?"  
  
Rei wasn't too pleased with the way things had turned out   
either. A cheerleader indeed! She was going to have to teach him a  
lesson or two in tact. After that, they could move onto other, more  
interesting educational pursuits.  
  
"There they are!"  
  
Minako looked towards the direction Ami was pointing at and saw  
Ranma walking towards the exit. Her smile quickly faded, however, when  
she saw that a girl was holding onto his arm in a familiar way.  
  
'Great, I'm not even twenty and I've already been passed up  
for a younger woman.'   
  
She glared daggers at the girl, who seemed oblivious to the   
rest of the world as she held Ranma's arm tightly against herself. She   
was so focused upon their point of contact that she never recognized   
the girl until she heard Usagi talking excitedly.  
  
"Hey, it's Hotaru-chan!"  
  
She took a closer look at the girl and found that she was, in  
fact, Chibi-Usa's little friend. If her memory served her correctly,  
Hotaru was very shy around boys. Perhaps there was still hope...  
  
*****  
  
"Anyway, I'll just call you when Ranko wants to meet okay? Are   
you listed in the phone book?" Ranma tried one more time to disengage  
Hotaru's grip on him, and met with utter failure.  
  
"No, we have an unlisted number. Here, I'll write it down for  
you."   
  
Hotaru took a piece of paper from her pocket and wrote her   
phone number on it. She gave it to Ranma and they continued walking   
towards her home. They had almost reached the exit when they were   
intercepted by a group of teenage girls. Hotaru recognized them   
immediately. They were Chibi-Usa's little friends.  
  
*****  
  
"Hello there, Ranma. What a coincidence seeing you here!" Usagi  
quickly ran towards Ranma, followed by her friends.  
  
Ranma looked at the blonde girl with the strange hair style  
as she bounced towards him. He had to admit that she was kinda cute,  
and her smile was sort of infectious. Her friends didn't look too bad  
either. He smiled at the memory of their ridiculous costumes. They  
were apparently the heroines he had heard about before. If they wanted  
to pretend that wearing short skirts would render them unrecognizable,  
he could play along.  
  
"Hey, you're the girls from yesterday, right? Don't you live   
in Nerima?"  
  
Usagi smiled broadly at him as she stopped a few feet in front  
of him. "We live here, Ranma. We were only visiting Nerima yesterday."  
  
"Do you know each other, Usagi?"  
  
Usagi and Ranma turned to Hotaru, who was still holding onto  
Ranma's arm. Usagi smiled at her and started explaining.   
  
"Hi there, Hotaru. Well, we were visiting Nerima yesterday. We   
saw one of Ranma's fights and decided to help him afterwards. How about   
you, how did _you_ get to know him?"  
  
Ranma looked back and forth between the group of girls he had   
met yesterday, and Hotaru. He wondered whether or not Hotaru knew that   
the girls were the same heroines who regularly defended Juuban from   
harm. Deep in thought as he was, he was caught totally unprepared when   
Hotaru gave her reply.  
  
"Ranma? He's my boyfriend."  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
I would like to thank Ash, Seaver, Chester, and Vex for all of  
their help in getting this chapter done. I hope you liked Yee. I'm very  
proud of her, actually. More to come in later chapters, so stay with  
me!  
  
I would like to extend special thanks to Chester, who showered me  
with praise for this chapter. I think he was high at the time.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	8. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Koudansha,   
TV Asahi, Toei Douga and DIC.  
  
Ranma 1/2 is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, and Viz video.  
  
Oh! My Goddess (A.K.A. Ah! Megami-sama) is the property of Fujishima   
Kosuke.  
  
The above disclaimer is dedicated to Mr. Brian Randall.  
  
Warning: If you find yourself with both legs broken, don't try walking  
it off.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 7  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
Silence ruled the park exit for half a minute in the wake of  
Hotaru's declaration. Ranma found himself speechless, his mouth hanging  
open as he wondered if he had heard her correctly. His expression was  
mirrored in the faces of the inners, who were trying to make sense of  
the situation.  
  
Hotaru blushed bright red, realizing what it was that she had  
just said. She couldn't figure out why she had said it, and now she  
was frantically thinking of a way out of the embarrassing situation she  
had put herself in.   
  
"You know, he's a boy and he's my friend!"  
  
The group collectively heaved a sigh of relief, each for a  
different reason. Hotaru finally allowed herself to relax, thankful for  
her quick thinking. That was close!   
  
"That's wonderful, Hotaru-chan. What were you two doing here   
anyway?"  
  
As she asked her question, Usagi sidled over to Ranma's free  
arm and grabbed hold of it, much to Minako's irritation. She had been  
surreptitiously moving closer to that position since Hotaru cleared  
things up about her statement and she didn't particularly relish being   
beaten to it. She decided to just stand in front of Ranma and try her  
best to look sexy.  
  
Ranma could not understand what was going on. He had been   
trying to get Hotaru to let go of him for some time, but she was   
latched onto him like a barnacle. Now Usagi was holding the other  
arm in a similarly unbreakable grip. They were starting to feel  
numb.   
  
He looked over to the rest of the girls, and found the other  
blonde winking at him. She licked her lips suggestively, sending   
shivers up his spine. The tall girl who wore her hair in a ponytail was  
smiling at him, and the raven-haired one looked like she was about  
to bite his head off. As for the blue haired girl, he was starting to   
wonder if she had been born with that blush. She still held her hands  
behind her, which he thought was strange. He decided not to mention it.  
After all, her position was doing wonders for her chest.  
  
"Well... I was just showing Hotaru this scroll."  
  
"That's great, I love scrolls!" Minako smiled at him after   
saying this, and fluttered her eyelids as cutely as she could.  
  
"Um... right."  
  
Ranma racked his brain for an excuse to go home. He couldn't  
understand what was going on and he wanted to ask Hotaru what she knew  
about Usagi and her friends. He was particularly worried about the  
blonde wearing a bow, who seemed to have caught something in her eye.  
  
"Well, I was just about to take Hotaru home so-"  
  
Before he could complete his sentence, Ranma found himself  
interrupted by the tall brown haired girl.  
  
"Leaving so soon? But we haven't even introduced ourselves yet.  
My name's Makoto Kino, by the way."  
  
Ranma was about to reply to her but the blonde wearing a bow  
shoved her aside before he could say anything.  
  
"I'm Minako Aino. It's such a pleasure to meet you, Ranma.   
I hope we can get to know each other real soon. That's Rei Hino over   
there with the dark hair, and that's Ami Mizuno beside her. That's  
Usagi Tsukino beside you, in case you didn't hear Hotaru-chan."  
  
"I thought you said you already knew each other." They all  
turned to Hotaru, who was eyeing the other girls suspiciously.  
  
"Sure we do, we just never got the chance to introduce   
ourselves properly." After saying this, Usagi dreamily resumed stroking  
Ranma's arm. It was nicely toned, and she delighted in feeling the  
muscles flex whenever he moved it.  
  
"Well, Ranma and I are going home now. The park was attacked  
by a monster and Ranma had to fight it off. I'm sure he must be very  
tired."   
  
Hotaru did not like the way the inners were looking at Ranma.  
They _wanted_ him. They were practically throwing themselves at him.   
She had to get him away from them. For his own good, of course. She   
tried pulling him towards the exit, but Makoto blocked her path and   
began talking again.  
  
"We'll come with you, Hotaru. I want to hear how Ranma beat a  
youma all by himself."  
  
Hotaru groaned as they left the park. It was going to be a  
_long_ way home.  
  
*****  
  
'Perhaps I should go check up on them.'  
  
Setsuna wearily entered her room in the house she shared with  
Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru. She was worried about the inners. She  
wasn't sure they could be trusted to do the right thing, especially  
now that the changes in the past were beginning to affect them. She  
contemplated looking through the Time Gate to find out how they were  
doing. They had most likely found Ranma by now.  
  
'Then again, perhaps not.'  
  
Setsuna went directly to her room and closed the door behind  
her. Doubtless, her concern for the senshi was only a manifestation of  
the artificially induced love she felt for Ranma. By observing them,  
she would be observing him as well. She cursed herself for the feelings  
welling up inside her. Collapsing onto her bed, she decided to sleep  
for a while. She was getting awfully tired, anyway.   
  
*****  
  
A small rodent scampered along the forest floor as it searched  
for food. It had been along this way many times in the past, and the  
little creature knew the terrain by heart. Suddenly, it stopped. There  
was something amiss. It stood on its hind legs for a few seconds,  
sniffing the air. Its ears perked up, and the animal quickly left as   
fast as its small legs could go.   
  
A few moments later, the forest was rocked by an explosion  
that could be heard from miles away. Trees that had been standing for  
centuries fell over under the tremendous strain they were forced to  
endure. Then, everything became calm once more.  
  
Mousse stood quietly in the middle of the forest clearing he  
had chosen to train in. The area around him was filled with rubble, a  
testament to the rigorous training he had put himself through. He took   
a deep breath, calming himself. His clothes were in tatters, and his   
body was exhausted, but he wore a smile on his face. His new technique   
worked! Now, he was invincible! Now he could finally return to his   
beloved Shampoo and claim her as his bride!   
  
He started laughing giddily, imagining the look on Shampoo's  
face when she saw that he was truly a better man than Ranma.  
  
*****  
  
Mousse looked sadly at his fallen opponent, and sighed deeply.  
Ranma had hardly put up a decent fight, and defeating him had proved to  
be an easy task. It was truly a one-sided fight.   
  
"Ranma, your days of breaking women's hearts done with. The war  
is over, and you have lost. I'll be taking Shampoo now.  
  
"Oh Mousse, you truly a better man than Ranma! Let us get   
married right away!" Shampoo glanced at the unconscious form of Ranma,   
and kicked it in disdain.   
  
"Come Shampoo, do not bother yourself with such trash. Come   
with me you shall have the privilege of calling yourself my wife."  
  
The moment Mousse said those words, Shampoo ran over to him and  
put her arms around him. She closed her eyes, basking in the glow of   
his presence as she imagined the happy days to come. She looked up at  
him and saw that he was looking down on her, an expression of pure love  
on his handsome face. A tear fell from her eye, rolling slowly down her  
beautiful face before he wiped it away with a finger. Their faces moved  
closer, preparing for the inevitable kiss that would seal their pact of  
undying love for each other.   
  
*****  
  
"Target spotted. Subject: Mousse has been confirmed."  
  
Mousse whirled around to face the source of the unknown voice.   
He held his glasses closer to his eyes to get a better look, but was  
unable to recognize the cloaked figure who had snapped him out of his  
daydream. Her voice was feminine, but he couldn't tell anything else  
about her.  
  
"Who are you? What do you want with me?"  
  
Mousse waited for a reply, but the stranger said nothing.  
Seeing that the newcomer was not going to answer any of his questions,   
he fell into a defensive stance and prepared for the worst. If the   
stranger wanted to fight, he would only be too happy to oblige. The   
clearing was quiet for a few moments, then the stranger spoke again.   
  
"Initiating sampling. Level one combat status activated."  
  
Suddenly, the figure was gone. Mousse quickly scanned the area  
around him for the unwelcome intruder, but was unable to find a single  
trace of her. He craned his neck from side to side as quickly as he  
could, never dropping his guard. There was no sign of the intruder. It  
was as if she had vanished into thin air. Suddenly, he felt himself   
being lifted high into the air. Strong hands gripped him as he spun   
around repeatedly before slamming into the ground. He heard a crunching  
sound upon impact, and hoped that he hadn't broken anything important.  
He stood up shakily, checking himself for injuries. He couldn't feel  
any pain, but he was sure he heard something break when he fell. He  
opened his eyes, and saw everything around him as a blur. He cursed as   
he took off his broken glasses and threw them away.   
  
This was not good.  
  
*****  
  
Hotaru frowned at the inners as they made their way towards her  
house. They had been monopolizing Ranma's attention all the way from   
the park, and she had hardly been able to join the conversation. She   
was especially annoyed with Minako, who had been flirting with Ranma  
from the start.  
  
She felt like the odd man out, and it just wasn't fair. After   
all, it was _her_ that Ranma came to see in the first place. Her mood   
remained the same until they reached the front gates of her house. She   
tugged on Ranma's arm until he turned to her.  
  
"We're here, Ranma."  
  
The group made their way towards the front door, where Hotaru  
reluctantly released Ranma from her grip. She hesitated for a moment,  
then chastely kissed him on his cheek. She saw Minako and Makoto frown   
at this, and she smiled in spite of herself. If they thought that she   
was just going to stand idly by while they stole her boyfriend from   
her, they were sadly mistaken.  
  
*****  
  
"Kiyaa!"  
  
The boulder in front of Ryoga shook violently with the force of   
his attack. Without pausing, he continued to rain blows upon the large   
piece of rock. Before long, it was reduced to dust as he finished it   
off with a touch of his pointing finger. He had been training for a   
while, and he was gasping for breath from the effort. He allowed   
himself a moment of rest before starting on yet another large boulder.  
He would have preferred to fight against a wild animal or another   
martial artist, but the barren desert he found himself in was utterly  
devoid of anything that could possibly serve as a threat to him. There  
were plenty of boulders lying around, however, and he used those to  
enhance his endurance.   
  
He had to improve and he had to do it as soon as possible.  
Makoto was a good person, and she deserved someone better than Ranma.  
Someone who could appreciate her talents. Someone who would love her  
unconditionally forever. Someone who would protect her from harm.   
Someone who would never leave her for another woman.   
  
Someone more like himself.   
  
He was just about to start his training anew when he saw  
something move from the corner of his eye. He quickly turned to face  
it, and found a mysterious cloaked figure standing less than ten feet  
in front of him. He jumped back reflexively, putting a little more   
space between them. He looked over to his pack, where his umbrella was  
strapped to. Unfortunately, the stranger stood between him and his  
weapon. If things got ugly, he would have to fight hand to hand. He   
felt no fear. He had fought against strangers before, and emerged   
victorious.   
  
"Target in view. One hundred percent similarity between object   
and sample data."  
  
The figure did not move. Although it was covered from head to  
toe in a dark cloak, he could still make out the feminine curves of the   
mysterious stranger. He could not understand what she was saying,   
however, so he decided to try talking to her.  
  
"What are you trying to say? I can't understand!"  
  
The stranger ignored him, standing quietly for a few more  
seconds before speaking once more.  
  
"Initiating sampling. Commencing attack."  
  
This time, Ryoga understood her completely. He prepared to  
meet her attack, dropping into a ready stance. She started running   
towards him, and he smiled to himself. Finally, a moving target.  
  
*****  
  
"You don't have to walk us home if you don't want to, Ranma.  
You'll be late going home."  
  
Ami flinched as she saw her friends all glaring at her. They  
were all being so mean. After all, she was only trying to be nice to   
Ranma. Guys liked nice girls, didn't they?  
  
Ranma smiled at her. "Naw, that's okay. I like being with you   
guys."  
  
The smiles that appeared simultaneously on the faces of the  
inners could have brightened a black hole.   
  
"I mean, it's such a relief to be able to hang out with girls  
who don't want to marry me."  
  
The girls immediately stopped walking and proceeded to crowd  
around Ranma, worried looks on their faces.  
  
"What's the matter, Ranma? Don't you want to get married?"  
  
Usagi looked at Ranma and hoped that he hadn't meant what he  
said. Now that the past had been changed, she couldn't imagine herself  
with anyone other than him.   
  
Ranma immediately replied in the negative. "Of course I want  
to get married."  
  
"But what did you mean?" Minako fought to hold back the tears  
in her eyes. She couldn't believe that Ranma didn't want to marry her.  
He was her fiance!   
  
Ranma sighed exasperatedly before answering. "Well, it's a long  
story and you girls should be getting back-"  
  
Rei immediately cut him off. "That's okay, we can all go to my  
place to hear it. If you have time, that is."  
  
"Are you sure it's okay? Won't your parents get worried? It's  
getting dark already." Ranma backed away from them, trying to get out  
of telling the story of his life. He wasn't particularly comfortable  
discussing his fiancee troubles.  
  
"Don't worry about it. We stay at Rei's all the time. We'll   
just get our parents to pick us up later."  
  
Ranma thought for a few seconds, then gave his reply. "Okay,  
but you have to promise that you'll believe what I'm about to tell you  
no matter how strange it might sound."  
  
Makoto just smiled at him as she answered. "Don't worry, Ranma.  
We're used to hearing strange stories about the past."  
  
*****  
  
Mousse lashed out randomly at the space around him as he tried  
to figure out which one of the blurs in front of him was his opponent.  
He had been beaten down badly, and it was only through sheer will that  
he was still standing. The stranger had taken her time with him,   
circling him repeatedly to distract him and then striking quickly from  
odd angles. He stretched out his arms, and produced a sharp sword from  
each of the sleeves of his robe. He gripped the weapons tightly in his  
hands, and strained to make out his surroundings. Everything was a big  
blur to him, no matter how hard he looked. He felt movement coming  
from behind him, and turned around quickly, his swords striking at the  
air behind him. He grit his teeth in frustration as he again found   
himself striking at thin air. Before he could recover from his attack,  
he felt a powerful kick connect with the small of his back. He fell  
to the ground, exhausted from the pain and exertion. He tried to get  
back up, but failed.  
  
"Mission complete. Subject: Mousse classified as non-threat.  
Returning to base to submit sample data."  
  
Those were the last words Mousse heard before he fell into  
unconsciousness.  
  
*****  
  
Ryoga blocked another flurry of kicks and punches from the  
strange cloaked woman and retaliated with a strong kick aimed at the  
woman's midsection. The woman leapt backwards, barely avoiding it.  
Ryoga stood his ground, waiting for the woman to come to him. She was   
still wearing her cloak, though it was in tatters by now. Small holes   
in the fabric revealed that she wore a tight, body-hugging outfit   
underneath. Her face was still hidden in shadows, however, and she   
had been completely quiet the whole time they were fighting.   
  
Ryoga wondered who she was and where she came from. Her   
fighting style was completely unlike anything he had ever encountered   
before. It was a quick, offensive style that relied heavily on kicks   
and aerial attacks like Anything Goes, but the resemblance ended there.   
While Ranma's style focused on distracting the opponent with a flurry  
of seemingly random moves, her strategy consisted almost completely of  
calm, measured attacks. He found himself admiring the way she kept her  
focus, even when the tide of battle was against her. She was a very  
good fighter. He had to end this _now_.  
  
He started to focus on his depression, reliving the many times  
that life had acted unjustly towards him. He remembered every time   
Akane ignored him in favor of Ranma. He recalled the look on Makoto's  
face as she gazed longingly at his hated enemy. He felt the power of  
depression take hold of him, and he embraced it. He saw the unknown   
woman charging quickly at him, and he held up his arms towards her.  
  
"Shi Shi Hokodan!"  
  
He watched with soulless eyes as she ran straight into the  
huge ball of ki released from his hands. He flinched a bit when she  
met it head-on. She would never be able to withstand it. He closed  
his eyes, not wishing to watch a female decimated by his attack.  
  
A few seconds later, he felt a powerful kick hit him solidly  
on his groin. He cried out in pain, and fell into a fetal position as  
he clutched his injured organs. He opened his eyes, and saw the woman  
standing over him, seemingly unharmed by his attack. What happened?  
He had seen her run straight into his attack.   
  
"Sample data erroneous. Subject: Ryoga classified as unfit  
for assimilation. Returning to base for further orders. Updating  
sample data to reflect new information."  
  
Ryoga watched her turn and run away, confusion mixing with  
the pain he felt in his brain. Who was she? What was she talking about?  
  
Somehow, he knew in his gut that Ranma was to blame for all  
this. He felt his eyelids getting heavy, and cursed Ranma one last  
time before succumbing to the call of unconsciousness.  
  
*****  
  
"Three fiancees and a crazy girl who _thinks_ she's your  
fiancee? You've got to be kidding!" Rei stared incredulously at Ranma,  
looking for evidence that he was joking.  
  
"I thought you said that you'd believe what I had to say, no  
matter how strange." Ranma tried to inch away from Rei, but was unable  
to move further due to the lack of space in the chair they were sitting  
on. He wished he had sat beside Ami instead. She seemed much nicer than  
the raven-haired girl beside him.  
  
"We believe you, Ranma. It's just... well... we weren't  
expecting that."  
  
Usagi stared in wonder at the handsome young boy in front of  
her and tried to imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes. No  
wonder he didn't take to the idea of marriage very well! She sighed   
loudly, thankful that they had waited before telling him of his past  
relationships with them.   
  
"Do you love them?" Minako fidgeted in her seat, nervous that  
Ranma might already love another girl and unhappy that she was seated  
farthest from him.  
  
Ranma did not even pause to think before answering. "Love   
them? Of course not! It's all my stupid dad's fault. He arranged those   
engagements for me. I never asked for any of them!"  
  
"We were just asking, Ranma. You don't have to yell at us."  
  
Ranma looked towards Usagi and bowed his head in shame. "Sorry  
about that, I guess I got a little carried away back there."  
  
Usagi's smile was quick to return after Ranma's apology, and  
she quickly regained her cheery demeanor.   
  
"That's okay, Ranma. We understand."  
  
Ranma couldn't help but smile back at the bubbly blonde. It was  
a welcome change of pace to talk to people who listened to you, and  
believed what you said. He stood up and stretched, then looked at the  
clock.   
  
"I should get going now, guys. It's getting pretty late."  
  
*****  
  
Michiru quietly read a book in the living room of her house,  
recovering from her earlier activities with Haruka. She couldn't even  
remember the last time they had gone at it with such... vigor. Haruka  
was still sleeping upstairs. She was still engrossed in her reading  
when she heard the front door open and close. A few seconds later,   
Hotaru stepped into the room and sat down beside her. She decided to  
tease the little girl a little.  
  
"How was your date, Hotaru? Did you have fun with your  
boyfriend?"  
  
Hotaru tiredly closed her eyes before replying. "Well, it was  
okay I guess. I mean, it was fun while it was just Ranma and me, but  
we met up with Usagi and her friends before going home."  
  
  
Michiru raised an eyebrow at the response. She had expected  
Hotaru to deny that Ranma was her boyfriend or that they had gone on  
an actual date.   
  
"What's the matter, Hotaru-chan? I thought you liked Usagi and  
her friends."  
  
Hotaru sighed dejectedly before replying. "I do like them, but   
they kept flirting with him and they even came with us when Ranma was   
taking me home."  
  
Michiru gave her a knowing grin. "You don't like sharing him,  
do you? I understand, I used to have the same problems."  
  
Hotaru's eyes opened wide. "You mean there were other girls  
spending time with a guy you liked?"  
  
Michiru recalled all the men who had hit on Haruka in the  
past. "Yes, something like that. Don't worry about it. Just use your   
womanly charms to keep him in line."  
  
Hotaru thought about Michiru's words for a few moments. She   
gathered her thoughts before speaking again.   
  
"Michiru-mama..."  
  
Michiru put down her book on the coffee table in front of her   
and turned to Hotaru, a warm smile on her face.   
  
"Yes, Hotaru-chan?"  
  
Hotaru blushed bright red before answering, her eyes looking  
down on the floor to hide her embarrassment.  
  
"Can you... teach me?"  
  
Michiru feigned ignorance of what the girl was trying to say,  
putting on a puzzled face as she goaded Hotaru into saying the magic  
words.   
  
"Teach you what, Hotaru-chan?"  
  
Hotaru turned an even brighter shade of red as she finished  
asking her question.  
  
"Can you teach me to... use my womanly charms?"  
  
The last word barely came out as a whisper, but Michiru heard  
it nonetheless. She smiled as she patted Hotaru on the head.  
  
"Of course I can, dear. We'll start tomorrow."  
  
Hotaru squealed with excitement when she heard Michiru's   
answer, and wrapped her arms around Michiru in a tight hug.  
  
"Oh thank you, mama. You're the best!"  
  
Michiru returned the hug and kissed Hotaru on her forehead.  
Her smile never left her face as Hotaru broke the hug and headed   
upstairs to her bedroom to change. She had been meaning to have a talk   
with Hotaru about the things she needed to learn as a woman, and this  
was the perfect chance to do it. She picked up her book shortly after  
hearing the door to Hotaru's door click shut and resumed reading.   
  
*****  
  
"Alright, where is he?"  
  
Nabiki stopped scribbling on her notebook and turned her head  
towards her sister. She was slightly irritated at being interrupted in  
the middle of recording her earnings, but it made her feel better about   
herself to think that she always made time for family. She closed her   
notebook, using her pen to mark her place, and turned towards Akane.  
  
"Why are you looking for him?"  
  
Akane did not like that answer. Whenever Nabiki gave evasive  
answers it usually meant one of two things; either it was something you   
weren't supposed to know or she was trying to separate you from your   
money.  
  
"He collapsed after eating the breakfast I made for him, then  
he just ran off the second he woke up. Why shouldn't I be looking for  
him?"  
  
Nabiki looked her sister over for a few moments, wondering if  
she should share what she knew. Ignorance was bliss, after all.  
  
"What makes you think I know where he is anyway?"  
  
Nabiki's expression didn't change. She simply looked at Akane  
while twirling a pencil that she picked up from her table on her   
fingers. Akane was beginning to get irritated. She wanted answers, and  
she wanted them _now_.  
  
"You knew where he was yesterday, why not now?"  
  
Nabiki shook her head slowly, putting the pencil back on her  
table. Akane was being even more childish than usual.  
  
"I never told you where Ranma was yesterday. I just told you he  
went to another district. I saw him on a rooftop and followed him on my  
bike. He lost me when he left Nerima."  
  
Akane was just about to leave when she noticed that Nabiki   
hadn't really answered her question yet.  
  
"Do you know where Ranma is or not? Stop giving me these weird  
answers and tell me the truth, Nabiki."  
  
Nabiki stood up and walked closer to her, invading her space   
and making her feel trapped. Akane unconsciously stepped back a little.   
Her sister could be so imposing when she wanted to be. Finally, Nabiki   
gave her the answer she'd been waiting for.  
  
"How much is it worth to you?"  
  
Usually, Akane was pretty shrewd in the way that she managed   
her money. She took pride in the fact that she didn't spend nearly as  
much as most of her friends. When it came to Ranma, however, her   
judgment became severely compromised. She quickly emptied the contents   
of her pockets onto the table.  
  
"Um... I only have a few thousand yen on me right now. I could   
come up with more next week though!"  
  
Nabiki stared at the assorted coins and bills in front of her.  
It gave her great satisfaction to know that she had this much control  
over her sister. However, it hurt her to see that Akane was obsessing  
so much over Ranma. She felt guilty taking advantage of Akane like   
this. She decided to be nice for now. Akane didn't have much yen on  
her anyway.  
  
"Never mind, I won't charge you. Ranma has been seen in Juuban  
associating with the Sailor Senshi. You've heard of them, right?"  
  
Akane had heard of the famed Sailor Senshi. They were sort of  
like superheroes and they defended Juuban from demons or something like  
that. Sailor V, who was one of her favorite heroes, was one of them.  
  
"How did you find out? Are you sure?"  
  
Nabiki smiled at her and went back to her seat. She picked up  
her pencil and started twirling it again as she replied.  
  
"It was on the news a few minutes ago. Ranma was seen fighting   
and defeating a youma in Juuban shortly before the Senshi arrived and   
spoke with him.   
  
The guy who took the pictures was using a telescopic lens, so   
no one knows what they were talking about, but people are speculating   
that he might be involved with Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus, or Sailor   
Jupiter. Venus and Jupiter were winking at him on some of the photos  
and Sailor Moon was doing most of the talking."  
  
Akane was dumbstruck. Ranma had never shown any interest in the   
Senshi before. He'd always dismissed them as fakes who couldn't fight   
their way out of a box if their lives depended on it. Why was he   
suddenly hanging out with them? Could he really be involved with Sailor   
V? She had to find out for sure.  
  
Nabiki was about to tell Akane to pack up her money and leave,  
but her sister had already left. She frowned at the change scattered   
all over her desk before picking up her notebook and resuming where  
she had left off.  
  
*****  
  
"Well girls, I guess its clear to everyone what we have to  
do about Ranma and his other fiances."  
  
Usagi looked around the room and smiled as the rest of the  
inners nodded in agreement. Ranma had already left a few minutes ago,  
and they were free to discuss their own engagements with him freely.  
  
"Um... we should give up on him because he's already engaged  
to too many other women and trying to force ourselves on him will only  
aggravate an already serious situation?"  
  
Makoto, Minako, Usagi and Rei looked at Ami like she had just  
swallowed a cow and declared that it tasted like chicken. She blushed  
under their combined stares, and turned to Usagi for help.  
  
"That was what you meant, right? I mean, he's already got his  
hands full with his other fiancees and we shouldn't complicate his life  
needlessly, right?"  
  
Usagi shook her head, disappointed that Ami of all people would  
miss the point so completely. She sat Ami down beside her, and gently  
explained things as slowly as she could.  
  
"Ami, we're defenders of _love_ and justice. Ranma doesn't love  
those women. We can't just stand here and do nothing while a gorgeous,  
innocent hunk of a guy is forced to marry a woman he doesn't love. We  
have to _save_ Ranma from those other fiancees of his so he can find  
true happiness."  
  
Usagi stood up, striking a heroic pose along with Rei, Makoto  
and Minako. Ami sat quietly and watched them plan Ranma's rescue. She  
decided not to mention that Ranma didn't exactly love them either.  
  
*****  
  
Cologne turned off the television and made her way back towards  
the couch. She sat for a few moments, deeply in thought, before getting  
onto her cane and hopping downstairs to the Nekohanten. She made her  
way to the kitchen, where Shampoo was busy cooking ramen.  
  
"Shampoo, let me finish that for you. I have an errand for you  
to run."  
  
Shampoo turned towards Cologne and smiled as she took off her  
apron. "Okay, great-grandmother. What you want Shampoo to do?"  
  
Cologne looked around before answering, making sure that there  
was no one around to hear what she was about to say.  
  
"I want you to go to Juuban and find out everything you can  
about the Sailor Senshi."  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
More to come about the mysterious cloaked figures later, as   
well as on the bat girls! I would like to thank Ash, Vex, Chester, and  
Seaver for all of the help they gave me with this chapter.  
  
I've become busy with school work lately, so new chapters may   
take a bit longer to come out from this point on. Sorry, but I have no  
control over my workload.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	9. Sidestory: Scenes from the Life of Athan

Disclaimer: There are many kinds of people. I am the kind that writes  
free fanfiction about characters I do not own.  
  
Warning: Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime! Lime!   
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 7.5   
'Scenes from the Life of Athan'  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
Sailor Jupiter looked incredulously at the bouquet of roses   
that Athan was holding out towards her. She would have thought he'd at   
least wait a few months before trying anything, but there he was. He   
wasn't even apologizing, the arrogant bastard.  
  
"How can you expect me to take you back so soon after what you  
did, Athan? You lied to me, and I need some time to myself before I can  
forgive you, if I ever do."  
  
Athan yawned tiredly, not really listening to what she was   
saying. He pushed her aside, walking into her room like he owned it.  
He threw the roses towards her dresser, the stems falling neatly into  
a decorative vase that she had been keeping on top of it. For the   
hundredth time since she had met him, she wondered how he was able to  
do that. Athan stretched, the action causing his breasts to pull tight  
against his uniform.  
  
"Come on, you've had all night! How much more time do you need?  
You should be happy that I'm into you again. We both know you want me,  
so why don't we just skip the preliminaries and get to the part where  
you admit your love for me."  
  
Electricity cackled and sparked across Sailor Jupiter's skin  
as her anger flared in response to Athan's words. Just who did he think  
he was? He wasn't even really a _he_ right now! She stood still and  
stared as the ranting, stacked red-head ignored her.  
  
"Come on, I haven't got all day. It'd be much easier for both  
of us if you just admit your love for me as soon as possible. I have  
six more to go so I'm kinda in a hurry."  
  
That was the last straw for the angry senshi. She focused her  
energy and let loose with the most powerful blast she had used in a   
long while.  
  
"Jupiter Oak Evolution!"  
  
Athan immediately jumped out of the blast's way the moment she  
released it, but he was still thrown through several walls by the   
shockwave that resulted from it. He lay still for a few seconds, then  
groggily shook his head as he recovered.   
  
"What'd ya do _that_ for?"  
  
She smiled at him as he looked up at her, confusion evident in  
his eyes. She effortlessly picked him up and carried him back to her  
room. He yowled in pain as she unceremoniously dumped him onto her bed.  
  
"I have something to do right now, but I'll be back later.  
Until then, I want you to think about what you said and where you went   
wrong."  
  
*****  
  
Makoto shifted positions, dreaming about the things she could  
do to a helpless Ranma in her bedroom.  
  
*****  
  
"What are _you_ doing here? Didn't you hear the Queen? We're  
onto you, Athan. You can't fool me twice."  
  
Sailor Mercury angrily slammed her bedroom window shut,   
blocking her former lover from view. She had thought that locking her  
doors would keep him away, but she had obviously underestimated his  
resolve. How was he able to climb up to her window anyway?   
  
She sighed deeply and walked slowly over to her bed. She   
reached for her computer and opened a password protected file. It was   
an image file showing herself and Athan during better times. She was  
so happy back then. She remembered how Athan had always been quick to  
give compliments, always ready to reassure her of her womanhood. He  
wasn't at all like the rest of the men she knew, who recoiled in fear  
from her power. Sailor Saturn may have had it worse than the rest of  
the senshi, but they were all feared for their power to some extent.  
  
It didn't help matters that she was almost as deathly afraid  
of them as they were of her. She wondered how they would react if  
they ever found out that the great and powerful senshi of Mercury  
wasn't even brave enough to make the first move on a relationship.  
She laughed bitterly.  
  
She wondered if she would ever be able to find another man  
who could look at her without a trace of fear in his heart. She was  
distracted from her thoughts when something slammed against her  
windows, breaking the glass into a thousand pieces and rolling into  
her room before curling up into a fetal position. She shook her head   
in disgust before walking over to Athan.   
  
"I thought I made it clear that you weren't welcome here. If  
you think that I will be any more merciful than Sailor Jupiter was  
last month, you are mistaken."  
  
Athan moved slightly, the minor cuts on his arms trickling  
blood. Sailor Mercury reflected silently that she would have to  
patch him up first before sending him away. She was retrieving her  
first aid kit from a cabinet when Athan mumbled something under his   
breath.   
  
"I think I'm dying."  
  
She quickly ran towards Athan, searching his body for signs   
of a major injury. She had assumed that any injuries he had received  
from the glass shards were minor. She picked up her computer and ran  
it over Athan's body. She frowned as she looked at the display. It  
indicated that Athan was fine, aside from a few cuts on his arms.  
Surely he didn't think he would die from a few minor wounds. He was  
a seasoned fighter who had survived worse injuries, after all.  
  
"What are you up to this time, Athan? The computer says that  
you're fine."  
  
Athan's eyes opened and he looked up at her with a confused  
expression.   
  
"Are you sure that's all? But... I woke up this morning and   
there was this incredible pain I've never felt before. I don't   
understand what it is, and I'm bleeding too."  
  
"Of course you're bleeding, that's what happens when you get  
cut." She looked at Athan closely, trying to determine whether he was   
lying or not.  
  
Athan glanced at his arms, seemingly noticing his injuries for  
the first time. "No, I'm not talking about these. It's something much,  
much worse."  
  
Athan pulled himself into a sitting position and motioned for   
her to come closer. She held her head nearer to him, worried about what  
was wrong with him. He whispered something in her ear, and she went  
slack jawed at his revelation. She looked at him with wonder, not sure  
what to say. He took her hands in his and locked eyes with her.  
  
"Am I going to die?"  
  
They sat that way for a while, neither of them moving a muscle.  
After a full minute of silence, she couldn't hold back anymore. She  
started laughing. Athan's expression changed from worried to annoyed in  
the span of a few seconds. He crossed his arms in front of him and  
turned his head away in disgust.  
  
"I don't see what's so funny about it. I mean, I'm dying here  
and all you can do is laugh it up. I went here because I thought you  
were the only person I could count on to help me. I guess I was wrong."  
  
Sailor Mercury forced herself to stop laughing and held his  
face in her hands, turning his gaze back to herself. He could be so  
adorable sometimes, when he was clueless like this.  
  
"You're not going to die, Athan. You see, every woman goes  
through a period of 'special time' every month. This is occasionally  
accompanied by cramps..."  
  
*****  
  
Ami giggled lightly, turning over in her bed. It wasn't every  
night that she got dreams as amusing as this one.  
  
*****  
  
"What are you doing in here? Get out of my room, Athan. You've  
had your chance and you blew it. I want nothing more to do with you, so  
why don't you just leave."  
  
Sailor Mars tried to hold back her anger as she stared down  
the diminutive red-head in front of her. Athan had a lot of nerve to  
come here and try winning her back. After everything he had done, he  
should be happy he wasn't executed on the spot.   
  
"Look, I'm really sorry about what happened. I just want to set  
things right."  
  
The raven-haired senshi of Mars looked at Athan, who was giving  
her a look of intense sadness and remorse. She fell for that look once,  
but not anymore.   
  
"You don't want to set things right, Athan, you just want your   
old body back. You're using me again, just like you used me before."  
She held back her sobs as she looked at him, but she could not hide the  
tears that fell across her cheeks.  
  
Athan stepped closer to her, offering his shoulder to cry on.  
It would be so easy, just to let go of her anger and lose herself in  
the comfort of his embrace. In spite of the feminine curves that he  
now possessed, he was still Athan. He was still the same man who had  
won her affections. Still the same man who had led her on and played   
her like a flute.   
  
She punched him in the gut.  
  
She left him there, doubled over in pain. He obviously hadn't  
expected her to do that, and it gave her a measure of comfort to know  
that she could still surprise him. She had been afraid that he could  
read her like a book. Now she knew it was only because she was leaving   
herself open for perusal. The next time they meet, he'd be expecting  
more physical abuse.  
  
Then she'd jump his bones.  
  
She smiled to herself as she walked down the hall. She'd show  
him just how unpredictable she could be.  
  
*****  
  
Rei smiled as she slept, happy that Ranma had finally received  
what was coming to him.   
  
*****  
  
Setsuna looked at Athan with pure rage in her eyes and a bar  
of soap in her hands. She blew an annoying bubble off her nose and  
contemplated what manner of death was most fitting for such a pervert.  
She clenched and unclenched her hands, frustrated that she couldn't  
stand up from the tub without fueling his sick, twisted fantasies for  
the next few months.   
  
"Explain yourself, Athan. I am warning you, this had better   
be good."  
  
Athan covered his eyes with his hands, but the sudden action  
caused the towel he had been using as cover to fall to the floor. He  
quickly scrambled to cover his privates with his hands, and ended up  
tangling the towel in his feet.  
  
"Please don't kill me! I'm so sorry! I just wanted to take a   
bath!"  
  
She threw her brush at him, growling angrily when it missed him   
completely. This was definitely the most embarrassing situation she had   
ever experienced, even counting that time Sailor Uranus caught her   
picking her nose.  
  
"This is a private suite available only to royalty and visiting  
nobles. What makes you think you are allowed to use its bath? You are  
just a guard, after all, regardless of who you may have slept with in  
the past. Answer quickly, for your very life depends on your response."  
  
Athan's face paled at her words. "I couldn't take a bath with   
the other guards! They kept trying to fondle me!"  
  
She was not convinced. "Why did you not just bathe with the   
maids then?"  
  
Athan was shaking by now, and part of her noticed that his  
jiggling breasts were larger than her own and stood highly on his chest  
with no support at all. He replied quickly when he saw her growing even  
angrier.  
  
"They didn't want me bathing with them! They threw me out!   
Queen Serenity told me I could use one of the private baths instead. I  
didn't know this was your room, honest!"  
  
She fought to calm herself. What he was saying made sense, and  
it wasn't exactly her room anyway. She had just been too tired to walk  
all the way to her new quarters last night and she decided to sleep in  
the first vacant room she came upon instead. She was the keeper of time  
after all, and had no need to seek permission to use any of the rooms  
in the palace.   
  
"There are over a thousand vacant rooms in this palace, each  
with its own bath. You expect me to believe that you entered the one  
I was occupying at exactly the middle of my bath totally by accident?"  
  
Athan smiled at her. "Um... I guess. Strange, isn't it?"  
  
She glared at him. "I am not amused. You will leave at once,  
and you will make no mention of this to anyone or I shall have your  
tongue! Am I making myself clear?"  
  
Athan quickly ran out of the room, leaving her alone once more.  
Her chest was heaving, and she was perspiring heavily from her brief  
encounter with him. There were few people in the entire solar system   
that could get under her skin like this, and one of them had to live  
under the same roof. Granted, the roof was quite large and she didn't  
have to stay at the palace if she didn't want to, but the fact that  
she would need to put up with Athan if she _did_ choose to stay in the  
palace frustrated her to no end. She had been hoping to relax in her  
bath for a while longer, but he had ruined her mood.  
  
She got up and rinsed herself quickly, putting on a robe after  
drying herself. She was just about to leave when Athan's head poked  
through the door once more.  
  
"Um... when you said that you'd 'have my tongue'..."  
  
She cut him off before he could finish his sentence. "I did   
_not_ mean it that way, Athan. Now leave!"  
  
She pointed towards the hallway to emphasize her command, and  
her robe flew open to reveal her naked body to Athan's gaze.  
  
"Um... I don't think you dried your legs properly, Set-chan,   
they're still wet."  
  
She hurriedly closed her robe and reached for the Garnet Rod.  
The symbol of her power gave out a pale green glow as she held it.  
  
"I swear that if you do not leave this instant..."  
  
Athan closed the door and left, presumably for good this time.  
She sighed in exasperation and proceeded to dry her legs again.  
  
*****  
  
Setsuna sat up in her bed as she suddenly awakened from her  
slumber. It had taken her ages to get to sleep, and she was annoyed at  
having awakened in the middle of the night.   
  
Slowly, the details of her dream came back to her. For the   
first time in centuries, she blushed.  
  
*****  
  
"Of course I forgive you, Athan. What you did is in the past,  
and I'm not one to hold a grudge."  
  
Sailor Uranus filled two glasses with wine and offered one to  
Athan. She smiled affably at him while he sipped his drink. She placed  
her own glass on the table beside her.   
  
"Thanks, that's very nice of you. To tell you the truth, I was  
kinda nervous about coming here when you invited me."  
  
Athan smiled at her in return, drinking even more of his wine  
after doing so. He continued to drink until he had emptied the crystal  
glass of its contents. He put it down on the table beside the other  
glass, and settled down comfortably in his chair.  
  
"Why would you be nervous, Athan? I don't bite. Not unless you  
want me to, anyway. Here, why don't you have some more wine."  
  
She filled Athan's glass with wine again and offered the drink   
to him. She watched him as he nervously gulped its contents. She sat  
closer to him and leaned against his side.  
  
"Well, the others have been... less forgiving than you."  
  
Athan reached for the bottle and refilled his glass, taking a  
big sip from it before putting it back down. He loosened his collar and  
slid as far away from Sailor Uranus as the sofa in her bedroom allowed.  
She giggled at his embarrassment and slid after him, leaning against  
his side as she had been doing before.  
  
"Why are you trying to get away from me, Athan? You weren't   
like this before. Don't you like me anymore? There's no reason to be  
afraid. I won't hurt you like the others."  
  
Athan tried to get up, but she held him fast. She pulled his   
face towards her and leaned forward, whispering in his ear.  
  
"Don't you want to have a little fun, Athan? Just like old   
times."  
  
Athan was struggling with all of his strength by now. He might  
have been able to break free in his old body, but his female body   
simply wasn't able to overcome her strength.   
  
"Please, we mustn't! I'm a girl right now, can't you see that?"  
  
She giggled again, amused at his bashfulness. She reflected   
that he must not have been used to being in the submissive side of a  
relationship. She drew his head towards her again, and whispered her  
reply to him with the huskiest voice she could muster.  
  
"I don't care about it if you don't, Athan."  
  
Athan tried one more time to break free. The expression on his  
face was growing more and more worried, but his struggles were getting  
progressively weaker as time passed.   
  
"I care, Uranus! I really, _really_ care! Please, just let me   
go and I won't say anything to anyone about this."  
  
Uranus loosened her hold on him a little. His face was turning  
an unhealthy shade of blue, and she didn't want him to choke to death   
or anything.  
  
"I don't think you'll be saying anything to anyone either way,  
so why should I release you?"  
  
Upon hearing his words, Athan's strength suddenly increased as  
he realized what was about to happen. He ran out the door, screaming.  
Sailor Uranus chose not to give chase. She simply picked up the wine  
bottle and noted that Athan had consumed nearly half of its contents.  
He wouldn't get very far.  
  
*****  
  
Sailor Neptune impatiently waited along the hallway near her  
bedroom. If everything went as planned, Athan would come running down  
the hallway towards his own room. She turned her head towards the  
direction he should be coming from impatiently and noted with a little  
annoyance that he still hadn't arrived. She grew worried. Perhaps   
something had gone wrong.   
  
She was just about to go and check on him when Athan appeared.   
He wasn't running, as she expected. He was walking slowly, holding onto   
the walls for support. He must have had a little more to drink than   
they anticipated. She hurriedly walked towards him and held his arm to  
support him.  
  
Athan looked at her and smiled weakly as he held onto her arm.  
He allowed himself to be led to her room without complaint. She sat him  
down on her own bed before asking questions.  
  
"What happened, Athan?"  
  
Athan took a few deep breaths to calm himself before speaking.  
His speech was slurred, and he was obviously having a lot of trouble   
staying awake.  
  
"Uranus... her room... have to... get away..."  
  
She lifted him to a standing position by his arms again, and  
led him to the far corner of her room. She pushed her left hand against  
a nondescript portion of the wall, and it parted to reveal a dark room  
hidden within. She led him inside and lay him down on a bed located  
in a corner.  
  
"Why don't you rest here for a while. You've had a lot of that  
wine Uranus offered you, and you're probably going to be unconscious   
for a few hours. Don't worry, she'll never guess that you're in here."  
  
Athan smiled at her and closed his eyes. She walked slowly away  
from him towards her own room. She had plenty of things to do before he  
awoke, and the earlier she started the earlier she would be done. She  
was just about to close the hidden door when she heard him speak again.  
  
"Wait... the wine... I didn't tell you... how..."  
  
She grinned. He had a sharp mind. Somehow, it seemed fitting   
that his intelligence was now enclosed in a female body. It had been  
very unnerving to her in the past when he exhibited flashes of great  
wisdom as a man.   
  
"Don't worry about that, Athan. Just sleep it all off and   
everything will be better when you wake up."  
  
*****  
  
Michiru and Haruka woke simultaneously from sleep and stared  
at each other. They stared silently at each other for a few seconds,  
each trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Finally, Haruka  
broke the silence.  
  
"Do you want to go to sleep again?"  
  
Michiru shook her head in response. The silence resumed until  
a smile formed in each of their faces. Michiru spoke first.  
  
"Wanna play a game instead?"  
  
Haruka giggled and turned on their bedside lamp. She got up  
and made her way towards the closet.  
  
"I'll get the clothes, you get the props."  
  
Neither of them got much sleep that night.  
  
*****  
  
"I must say that I wasn't expecting you to come to me for help.  
I am not exactly the person people come to for healing."  
  
Sailor Saturn continued dabbing at Athan's wounds with a wash   
cloth and proceeded to bandage them with clean white strips of cloth.   
She had been surprised when he came to her quarters requesting   
treatment, but she did not refuse him help. He may have been the same   
man who had betrayed the rest of the senshi, but she herself bore no  
anger for him. She briefly considered using her powers to heal him,  
but in the end opted against it. It was rare indeed that anyone would  
come to see her, and he was as good company as anyone else in the  
kingdom. She intended to keep him visiting her as long as it took to  
heal all of his injuries naturally. With any luck, the rest of the  
senshi would injure him again shortly after that.  
  
"I know the rumors about you, but I'm not really scared or  
anything."  
  
Athan sat still as she tended to his injuries. She could  
see him repressing a wince every now and then when she hit a sore spot,  
but he otherwise ignored any pain there might be.  
  
"Whatever rumors you have heard of my power, they can never   
compare to what I am truly capable of. Do you not fear the fact that  
I can obliterate an entire planet by myself if I really wanted to?"  
  
Athan considered her question for a few seconds before giving  
his answer.  
  
"Well, the way I figure it, if you wanted to do that you would  
have done it already. Besides, if you really wanted my head then there  
really isn't much point in running, right?"  
  
Sailor Saturn mulled his response over in her mind. She knew  
that his logic was flawed in some fundamental way, but she could not  
put her finger on exactly what was wrong with his reasoning. She found  
him to be extremely fascinating. She decided that she rather liked  
talking with him.   
  
"Well, that's certainly a perspective that few others in our  
kingdom share."  
  
She finished bandaging one of his wounds and started cleaning  
another one. She was most impressed with the burns Sailor Jupiter had  
caused. They were inflicted in such a way as to be extremely painful,  
but they left no scars. It was a marked difference from when she was  
just starting out and she repeatedly vaporized her targets, along with  
anything else that happened to be within a few meters of them. As for  
Neptune and Uranus' handiwork, the welts were already starting to  
disappear. She wondered how they had learned to handle whips with such  
accuracy.  
  
"Well, that's their own problem. The way I see it, there are  
worse ways to die than getting killed by a beautiful lady."  
  
She smiled at the compliment, a faint blush developing on  
her cheeks. She wasn't used to being the recipient of compliments for  
her physical appearance. She had resigned herself to the fact that  
no man would ever fancy her. Athan, however, was starting to change   
her mind about it.   
  
Of course, he was technically a woman, but you can't have   
your cake and eat it too.  
  
"You know I wouldn't kill you, Athan. The Queen would be   
terribly upset if you died."  
  
Athan chuckled at her comment. She found herself fascinated  
with his laugh. It was unmistakably female because of his new voice,  
but it carried none of the restraint the other women of the kingdom  
had when laughing. He laughed freely, like a man would. It was really  
quite adorable.  
  
"Why don't you tell that to your little senshi friends? They   
don't seem to realize it."  
  
She finished with his right arm and gestured for him to turn  
around to his other side so she could reach the other one. She talked  
to him as she looked over the condition of his left arm.  
  
"Actually, they _do_ realize it. If they didn't, you'd be in  
a lot worse shape than you are right now. You may not believe me, but  
the Queen likes you a lot."  
  
This time Athan laughed out loud, wincing as his actions caused  
her to rub a little too hard on a bruise.  
  
"Likes me? If she likes me, then why do I have these?"  
  
He gestured towards his large, firm breasts. She looked at them  
closely for the first time. They were really quite beautiful. She found  
herself comparing them to her own chest. She decided not to dwell on   
the fact that they were larger than her own, since he wasn't really   
part of her competition.  
  
"If she didn't like you, you wouldn't be alive at all. You   
should be thankful that you're still breathing."  
  
Athan looked at his freshly bandaged limbs and got up. He  
stood up and stretched a few times before answering.  
  
"I guess you're right, Saturn. I should be going now. I'll   
see you later, okay? Hopefully the others would have realized that   
they're madly in love with me by then and I'd be a man again."   
  
Sailor Saturn looked at him and sighed. He really _did_ believe  
all those things he was saying. He'd be back for more treatments before  
the week was over for sure.  
  
"Yes, Athan. I believe we will be seeing quite a bit of each  
other in the coming months."  
  
*****  
  
Hotaru turned over as she slept, a grin forming on her pretty   
face.   
  
*****  
  
Sailor Venus looked herself over in her full length mirror,  
looking for signs of imperfection. She found none.   
  
Her long blonde hair was as soft and shiny as ever. Her figure   
was still perfect, and her legs were still a sight to behold. Her chest   
size was still something to be proud of, though recent events had   
revealed that they weren't as unusually large as she had previously   
thought. In her own unbiased opinion, she was still one of the most   
beautiful creatures the solar system had ever known.   
  
However, in spite of this fact, Athan _still_ hadn't contacted  
her in weeks. Everyone in the kingdom knew of his ill-fated visits to  
Jupiter and Mars, as well as the bath incident with Pluto, but that  
was not all. If the rumors were to be believed, he had also spent a  
considerable amount of time in the company of Neptune and Uranus, and  
had gone to see Mercury at least once. Normally she wouldn't have paid  
any attention to the gossip circulating between the handmaidens, but  
why else would Athan blush bright red whenever in their presence?  
  
As if that were not enough, there were also rumors circulating  
that he was engaging in secret meetings with Sailor Saturn! Didn't he  
know the things she was capable of?   
  
Needless to say, it was getting to be _quite_ embarrassing for  
a woman of her beauty. Being passed up for Sailor Saturn was not   
something she had ever considered as a possibility. She angrily turned   
away from the mirror and sat on her bed, deep in thought.  
  
What was wrong with Athan anyway? Couldn't he recognize a  
gorgeous woman when he saw one? What could the others possibly have to  
offer that she could not?   
  
Then it dawned upon her.  
  
Although she was definitely more attractive than any of them  
on their own, she could never hope to compete with all of them at once.  
The other senshi had joined forces to steal Athan from her! It was the   
only answer that made sense. She could hardly believe their audacity.   
They had probably seduced him in his vulnerable female state right   
after he was transformed. In fact, they were probably with him right   
now, having a private party that she wasn't invited to.  
  
She paced back and forth across her room, furious that the  
others could stoop so low. Athan was also at fault. How could he allow   
himself to be seduced so easily? Didn't he know that the senshi of love   
had something better to offer?  
  
Then, another idea dawned upon her.  
  
They were probably after her as well! It would explain all the  
weird looks she had been getting from Uranus recently. Who could have  
guessed that her great beauty would eventually lead to this mess? They  
knew she fancied Athan, so they ensnared him to force her to join in  
their disgusting sex games. They thought they had it all figured out,  
but she'd show them. Sailor Venus was no fool.  
  
She was interrupted from her thoughts by a knock on her door.  
  
Upon opening the door, she found herself face to face with the  
object of her affections himself.   
  
"I'm sorry about the things I did, Venus. I hope you can find  
it in your heart to forgive me. If there's anything at all I could do   
to make it up to you, just tell me."  
  
Sailor Venus seethed as she listened to his lies. He spoke of   
asking for forgiveness, but he was attending private parties with the   
rest of the senshi. He was probably going to ask her to engage in a   
menage a trois or something, the pervert. She decided not to give him   
the chance.  
  
"Venus Love and Beauty Shock!"  
  
The look of confusion and surprise on his face right before   
the large golden heart hit him on his chest gave her a large measure  
of satisfaction. It served him right for going to Saturn before her.  
  
*****  
  
Minako clutched her teddy bear tighter against her chest. She  
would show Ranma that only with the senshi of love could he hope to   
find true happiness. The kind of happiness that not even a room full  
of amorous non-venusian senshi could match.  
  
*****  
  
"Tell me about my eyes again, Athan."  
  
Princess Serenity happily stroked Athan's arm as she listened  
for more of his lovely compliments. She couldn't understand why her  
mother had punished him. He kept saying the nicest things to her, and   
he was the most romantic man she had ever known.  
  
Of course, he was a woman at the moment, but that could easily  
be fixed. They were in love after all, and love could overcome   
anything. Besides, the punishment her mother gave him seemed to have   
worked. He never used to pay any attention to her. Lately, however,   
he was always by her side, telling her how beautiful and kind she was.  
  
She decided that she really liked Athan.  
  
"They're the color of the clearest blue skies I have seen on  
earth, your highness. They have a beauty that the finest gems in the  
kingdom could never hope to match. I could look at those eyes and be  
lost in them for the rest of eternity."  
  
Athan looked straight at her as he spoke, touching the side  
of her face with the back of his hand. She held onto it, marveling at  
how soft it was to the touch. She wondered if his hands were like  
this even when he was in his old body.   
  
"There you are, my love! I have found you at last! Long have  
I searched the palace grounds for a glimpse of your lovely visage."  
  
Princess Serenity winced upon hearing those words. It was that  
silly little prince of Earth again. What was his name? She vaguely  
remembered it as starting with an 'I', or was that an 'E'? Something  
like 'Indemion'. In any case, he was the latest in a long line of   
princes that had come to claim her heart as his own.   
  
He was actually a far cry from the others who came before him.  
For one thing, he wasn't grossly overweight. That was the best thing  
about him, in her honest opinion. Her other suitors were all members   
of noble families whose parents had spoiled them with too much food and  
too little exercise. Add to that the fact that he had what Sailor   
Venus had referred to as 'the tightest buttocks in the galaxy', and she  
found herself eagerly anticipating his arrival. She had even taken the   
time to wear her most revealing gown when he arrived. Their first   
meeting should have been perfect, if not for one thing...  
  
*****  
  
"Welcome to the Lunar Palace, Prince Endymion. I am Queen  
Serenity, and this is my daughter. Introduce yourself, my dear."  
  
Princess Serenity nervously curtsied and sat back on her   
throne. She could hardly think straight, he was so handsome! He wasn't   
anything at all like the others. Perhaps he was 'the one'.  
  
"I am Princess Serenity. I hope you enjoy your stay here."  
  
She smiled cutely at him, just like Sailor Jupiter had taught  
her. Her tutors had all insisted that she remain calm and aloof, but   
she wasn't about to take any chances with this one. He was simply too  
good a catch to let go. She could go back to being aloof when the  
other suitors came calling. She wanted to jump into his arms right  
then and there, but smiling at him was as far off procedure as she  
dared to venture.   
  
She sighed. Being the kind and beautiful princess of a kingdom  
that ruled over the entire solar system wasn't all it was cracked up  
to be.  
  
"I am Prince Endymion. I have come to... what's that?"  
  
They all turned towards the side of the room, where Setsuna   
was angrily walking towards the throne. She was clad only in a loose   
fitting robe, and her hair was dripping wet. She held the Garnet Rod  
in one hand and her eyes were twitching erratically. She quickly   
brushed the hapless Prince Endymion aside and faced the Queen, talking   
even before she finished turning.  
  
"He has done it again, your highness! I _demand_ that he   
be punished for this latest affront! It is simply impossible for an   
individual to accidentally catch me in the midst of bathing more   
than five times in less than two months!"  
  
The nobles gathered in the throne room were all gawking at the   
enraged senshi of Pluto. However, one tap of the Garnet Rod against the  
marble floor caused all of them to avert their eyes. Setsuna may have  
been half naked, but she was still a force to be feared. Perhaps even  
more so in this state than normally.  
  
Queen Serenity regarded her with calm eyes. It disappointed her  
to see one of her most trusted advisors reduced to this. Still, she had  
to admit that the sight of Setsuna in such a state was quite amusing.  
  
"Calm yourself, Setsuna. Do you not see that we have guests?"  
  
Setsuna turned towards Endymion, who felt himself shrinking   
under her intense gaze. He nervously shifted his weight from one foot   
to another as he avoided locking eyes with her. He sighed thankfully   
when she turned back towards the Queen and resumed talking.  
  
"I apologize, your highness. It will not happen again. However,   
I must insist that you resolve this matter immediately. Athan cannot be   
allowed to continue his lecherous ways. I recommend that he be thrown   
into the snake pit."  
  
Queen Serenity arched an eyebrow. Setsuna had been growing more  
and more... eccentric since she had refused to execute Athan.  
  
"Setsuna, we do not have a snake pit."  
  
Setsuna waved her comment off. "Then we shall simply have to  
construct one. The point is that Athan is a boil on the face of the   
Moon Kingdom that must be dealt with as soon as possible."  
  
The Queen closed her eyes and counted to ten before opening   
them again. It was an old technique she had learned to hold her   
emotions in check. Athan was starting to become more trouble than he   
was worth.  
  
"Would you care to enlighten me as to what he has done that  
would justify throwing him into a pit of dangerous reptiles, then?"  
  
Setsuna gripped the Garnet Rod harder as she told her tale of  
woe. "I had chosen to stay at one of the rooms in the west wing, as you  
advised. Because Athan was staying at the east side of the palace, I  
was not worried about him walking into my bath as he has done in the  
past. I bolted the door to the bath shut anyway just to be sure. Less  
than five minutes into my bath, however, he crashed through the window  
and fell into the tub."  
  
Queen Serenity frowned. This was starting to confuse her. "How  
did he know which room you were staying in?"  
  
Setsuna tapped her staff impatiently as she answered, the glow  
of power emanating from it frightening the nobles present into leaving  
the throne room.  
  
"I do not know how, and I am not interested in finding out.   
The point is that he has committed a crime of the highest order and   
must be executed, preferably by being thrown into a snake pit."  
  
Queen Serenity spared a glance at Prince Endymion. He was still  
standing a short distance to Setsuna's side. She felt relief that he  
hadn't run away. Setsuna's stares had been known to cause that reaction  
in some of the men who had experienced them. She turned back towards  
the keeper of time, intent upon ending the discussion quickly.  
  
"Where is Athan now?"  
  
Setsuna replied quickly, obviously having anticipated this  
question.   
  
"I believe he shall be joining us shortly, your highness."  
  
She nodded towards Endymion and spoke one word.   
  
"Catch."  
  
The moment her lips closed, the glass roof collapsed over a  
confused Endymion. He scrambled to avoid the sharp shards of glass as  
they fell around him, but was sent to the ground by something heavy  
falling on top of him anyway.   
  
Princess Serenity gazed at the unconscious form of Athan as   
Prince Endymion held him. She felt annoyed at having her introduction  
to her future husband interrupted.   
  
She had never fully forgiven Athan for ignoring her past  
attempts to catch his attention. If she got a gold ring for every  
handkerchief she had dropped in front of him she would have had   
two gold rings by now. He simply ignored her, and that fact frustrated  
her to no end. She was the princess! What kind of a man did not want  
to be married to a princess? If he had just chosen her over the senshi,   
she smugly reflected, he wouldn't have been turned into a woman in the   
first place.   
  
Queen Serenity carefully worded her reply before answering. It  
took her all of three seconds to come up with an answer that accurately  
conveyed her feelings on the matter.  
  
"No."  
  
Setsuna's mouth fell slack as she stared dumbfounded at the  
Queen. Surely she wouldn't condone him this time! Greater men have been  
executed for more trivial crimes!   
  
"But... but your highness..."  
  
Queen Serenity waved her hand dismissively.   
  
"I have made my decision. Your attack on Athan is punishment   
enough for his crime."  
  
Setsuna opened her mouth to speak again, but stopped at the  
last minute. Once the Queen had made up her mind, there was little  
anyone could do or say to change it. She walked away, muttering about  
favoritism and snake pits.   
  
After Setsuna had left, the young princess and her mother   
turned back towards the stunned prince of earth, who was still holding  
onto Athan while Saturn and Mercury looked over his injuries. Queen  
Serenity gestured towards Sailor Saturn, who walked to the front of  
the throne and bowed low.  
  
"What is his condition?"  
  
Sailor Saturn stood up before answering her.  
  
"He suffered many minor cuts from the glass as well as a few  
burns from Pluto's attack, but he shall be fine after a few weeks. It  
would appear that Sailor Pluto was able to exercise some restraint   
when she dealt with him."  
  
The Queen stood and walked over to where Endymion was carrying  
Athan, followed closely by the princess. It never ceased to amaze her  
how much trouble he could get into. In some strange way, it endeared  
him to her. She stroked the pretty face she had given him, thankful for  
the amazing healing powers she had bestowed upon him as part of the  
change. Athan would never have survived the wrath of a vengeful senshi   
without them. She turned to Endymion, who had been silent since Setsuna   
came into the room.  
  
"I must apologize for this incident, Prince Endymion. I assure  
you that it is an isolated occurrence that will not be repeated."  
  
The young price raised his head towards her before answering.  
  
"May I ask who this young maiden is and why you refer to her  
in masculine terms?"  
  
Queen Serenity smiled at him. He was so naive. "I am afraid   
that the information you are seeking is a secret that I cannot discuss  
freely. Why do you ask?"  
  
Endymion held the red haired maiden's face in his eyes as he  
answered. "She is beautiful."  
  
The other senshi rushed to aid the princess when she suddenly  
fainted.  
  
*****  
  
Princess Serenity shuddered at the memory. Beside her, Athan's  
expression changed to a look of annoyance as they waited for him to  
arrive.   
  
Despite all of their pleas to the Queen, she had refused to  
allow them to explain the situation to the prince. No one outside the  
palace was to be told of how a mere earthling had brought such chaos  
to the Moon Kingdom's highest circles. Because of this, they had to  
pretend that Athan was one of her own handmaidens.   
  
It was hard for all of them, herself most of all. Her mother   
had insisted on it, however, since pretending that he was one of the   
senshi's servants would have created a new mess just to deal with which   
one got him. It was rather amusing how Athan was loved and hated by   
the senshi at the same time.  
  
"I left an invitation for you to come to breakfast with me.  
Did you not receive it?"  
  
Princess Serenity watched Athan ball his hands into fists as  
Indemion approached. He was about to leap into an attack, but she held  
him back with her hand. If there was one thing that she had learned   
during her years as a princess, it was how to deal with unwanted   
suitors.  
  
"I am afraid that we received no such invitation, Prince   
Indemion. The messenger must have lost it."  
  
The prince stopped abruptly, confusion evident in his eyes.   
To his credit, however, he managed to recover within moments of his  
momentary slip and was once again the picture of calm confidence when  
he spoke.  
  
"Your highness, I am afraid that you are mistaken. My name is  
Endymion, not Indemion."  
  
She nodded briskly, taking Athan by the arm and walking back   
towards the palace. he couldn't very well follow them into her private  
quarters, could he? What was his name again?   
  
"I apologize for the misunderstanding, Prince Edimion. Rest  
assured that I shall remember your name correctly next time."  
  
She quickly whisked Athan away before the prince could reply  
and didn't stop walking until they had arrived at her room. She sat  
him down on her bed and took the space beside him, leaning into his  
side and stroking his arm once more.  
  
"Tell me about my lips this time, Athan."  
  
*****  
  
Luna squirmed in her sleep, pressing her feline body closer to  
Usagi. The young blonde had been stroking her fur for quite some time,  
and she found the sensation to be very soothing. Whatever it was that   
Usagi was dreaming about, Luna hoped she would dream about it often.  
She purred contentedly before falling asleep.  
  
*****  
  
"Don't you ever give up?"  
  
Endymion continued running as fast as his feet could take him,  
chasing after the lovely young woman that he had decided was to be his  
bride. He knew she was special right from the moment he first laid eyes   
on her. She fell from the heavens straight into his waiting arms. If  
that wasn't a divine sign, he didn't know what was. He stayed  
by her side until she awoke, but she ran off the moment she saw him.  
It was only much later that he learned from the Queen of her status as  
the princess' handmaiden.   
  
He still couldn't understand why everyone referred to her using   
masculine terms, however. Surely they could see the evidence to the   
contrary. He decided not to think about it too much. It was probably   
some obscure custom his tutors had neglected to teach him when he was   
still a child. He made a mental note to look up lunar customs in a book   
the moment he returned to earth.  
  
He could understand her hesitance to accept him, of course. The  
poor little thing was probably just shy. He certainly could not blame  
her. It wasn't everyday that a prince expressed interest in a mere  
handmaiden. If he could only get her to spend some time with him, he  
was sure she would realize that they were meant for each other.  
  
If only she wasn't such a fast runner.  
  
He watched her duck quickly around a corner, and followed her.  
The moment he made the turn, however, he was hit by a stiff kick to the  
groin. He groaned out loud as he slowly fell to his knees. He forced  
his eyes open to find out who his attacker was. He saw the smiling face  
of Lady Athan staring back at him. He opened his mouth to speak, but  
his voice failed him. He winced in pain as she lifted him to his feet  
by his collar.  
  
"I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention. The people  
here refer to me in masculine terms because I _am_ a man. It would take   
too long to explain why, but I assure you that I am most definitely not   
interested in anything you may have to offer. Now leave me alone!"  
  
He leaned on the wall for support as he watched her walk away.  
He had assumed that she was merely avoiding him because she was shy. He  
was wrong. She wasn't shy at all.  
  
She was confused!  
  
Doubtless, it was exactly like his own rather unique childhood.  
His father died when he was very young, and he spent his youthful days  
in the castle with his mother listening to her stories of brave knights  
in shining armor rescuing beautiful princesses from enchanted castles  
and the like. Naive as he was, he spent a sizable chunk of his youth  
dreaming of being rescued from the boring castle he called home by a  
handsome knight riding a mighty steed.  
  
He could still remember the look of pure shock in his mother's  
eyes the first time he voiced his dreams out to her. Luckily, all the  
military training his mother put him through managed to correct his   
decidedly lopsided view of the world. Now he knew that it was the women  
who stayed in the castle doing whatever it was that women did while  
the men went out to do important things like hunt and wage war.  
  
He vowed to enlighten Lady Athan about her place in the world  
before he went home. Afterwards, she could change her name to something  
more feminine and they would be married and have ten children which she  
would take care of while he got the business of waging war over with so  
he could spend his later years hunting. Yes, he was lucky indeed that  
his mother had taken the necessary steps to correct his self-image.   
Now, it was his turn to do Lady Athan the same favor.  
  
*****  
  
Mamoru sat up in bed, his body covered in sweat. He had just  
experienced one of those weird dreams again. Just like the others that  
came before it, this one made no sense at all. He decided to just   
ignore it and go back to sleep. At least he didn't have the one where  
Usagi rescued him from Beryl while wearing a suit of medieval armor.  
  
*****  
  
"Mmmmmmmmm..."  
  
Athan awoke from his slumber wearing a huge smile on his face.  
After almost a year of hard work, he was finally going to get his old  
body back. He chuckled to himself at the memory of how easy it had   
been. After today, he would go back home to Earth where he wouldn't  
have to take any more abuse from angry senshi, whiny princesses, and  
grabby princes. He looked towards his right and stroked the hair of  
the beautiful woman that lay by his side. It seemed like an eternity  
had passed since he had last admired a conquest, and he relished the  
moment. He closed his eyes as he held her silky smooth locks between  
his fingers and relived the events that had led up to this moment in   
his mind.  
  
He had been devastated to find out that there was nothing   
Princess Serenity could do to help him recover his lost body. After his   
disastrous attempts at regaining the affections of the senshi, she was   
his last hope. When the Queen rejected her request to give him back his   
old body, he felt as if his life had already ended. He just couldn't  
bear the thought of living out the rest of his days as a woman.  
  
He went through his journal, each entry corresponding to one  
of his former lovers. He had completely filled out the regular pages  
years ago. All that was left was for him to place entries in the last  
ten pages. They were reserved for the eight senshi, the princess, and  
finally the Queen. He ran his hand through the empty page where Queen  
Serenity's entry would have been. Now he would never be able to fill  
it out.  
  
Or could he?  
  
After that fateful evening, he spent the next few months in  
close contact with the Queen. His task of gaining the affections of  
the Sailor Senshi made it easy to do so. During this time, he used   
every trick he knew on her. Finally, after months of effort, she had   
succumbed to his charms. He felt his heart swell with pride at the   
thought.   
  
Suddenly, he felt another hand holding his own. He looked down  
to see the result of all his hard work grinning at him. He smiled at  
her.  
  
"Good morning, your highness. I did not think you would awaken   
for a few hours yet. We've had a busy night."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her as she sat up on the bed. The   
same bed that he had dreamed of sharing with her since he first stepped   
into the castle. She raised her right hand and held his arms to   
herself.  
  
"I am the Queen, Athan. I rise with the sun regardless of how  
tired I may be. It is my duty."  
  
He watched her get up and make her way to the bath. He thought  
about bringing up his promised reward, but decided against it. He   
remained under the soft sheets as Serenity prepared herself for her   
morning duties, savoring the afterglow of a job well done.   
  
A few minutes later, she emerged wrapped in a long silk robe   
that covered her body from neck to toe. He marveled at her ability to   
appear extremely attractive despite the fact that nearly every part of   
her anatomy was left to the imagination. Then again, it might have been   
that very fact that made her seem so desirable.   
  
He watched her dress with the same detached interest he felt   
for all of his conquests. Now that the chase was over and he had   
obtained what he needed from her, he wasn't really interested anymore.   
She stopped in the middle of her activities from time to time to flash   
him a warm smile, and he thought of how amusing it was that in a few   
weeks time she would probably be the farthest thing from his mind. He   
waited patiently until she had finished dressing, then cleared his   
throat to let her know that he had something to say. She smiled at him   
again as she turned, and he suddenly felt himself shudder at her   
expression.   
  
It was her smile. A smile that could only belong to someone who   
was absolutely sure that everything would go as he planned. The same   
smile he used to see on his own face reflected in the mirror every   
morning.   
  
He shuddered. He suddenly found himself wanting to get this   
over with as quickly as possible.  
  
"About that reward we discussed..."  
  
Serenity gave him another one of those creepy smiles. He felt   
an urge to turn and run build inside him, but he stayed put. He had   
waited too long and worked too hard to give up now. He repressed a  
shudder as she held a hand in front of her and concentrated. A pale  
glow started to emanate from the crescent symbol located on her   
forehead and bathed the room in its soft glow. He felt her power   
course through his body once again. He closed his eyes as the light  
she was radiating grew brighter and brighter. A few moments later,   
it was over. He opened his eyes and looked at himself.  
  
He was still a she.  
  
His mouth fell open in speechless wonder. Had he been a female  
for so long that he had begun to see himself that way? Did something  
go wrong? He looked towards Queen Serenity's face for answers, and  
found the same smile looking back at him. He tried to speak, but the  
words wouldn't come. Finally, she answered his unspoken question   
before he had a chance to ask it.  
  
"Yes, Athan, your body is still completely female."  
  
He started to stutter as he slowly regained control of his  
speech.   
  
"But... but we agreed... you... you... you said..."  
  
Serenity smiled at him and held his face in her hands. He  
found himself without the will to stop her.  
  
"My dear Athan. The agreement was that I would make you into  
a man, and I did exactly that. You see, there was no need for me to  
modify anything. You have always been a man, in all the ways that   
count. Even as you inhabit a female body, your thoughts and actions   
remain distinctly male. If you wish to recover your old male body, we   
have already discussed the terms needed for me to grant that request.   
Now, I suggest you get dressed yourself. I believe my daughter wishes   
you to describe her eyes again."  
  
Athan managed to utter a single sentence before she made her  
way out of the room.  
  
"You lied to me."  
  
She stopped upon hearing his words, and turned back to him.  
She was still wearing that smile that he now loathed.   
  
"Let us get one thing straight, Athan. I did not _lie_ to you.  
I may have led you to believe something that was not entirely true,  
but I didn't lie to you. I am sure that you are familiar with the  
technique, having used it yourself countless times."  
  
A lone tear fell from Athan's right eye, despite his best   
efforts to hold it back. Serenity continued talking.  
  
"Why the long face, Athan? You have just spent the night with  
the most powerful individual in the Moon Kingdom. Was that not your  
goal from the beginning? Last night was what you have been building   
up to, was it not?"  
  
Another tear fell from his left eye, and he blinked his eyes   
to hold back the rest of them. Serenity did not take notice.  
  
"Let me tell you why you feel sadness, Athan. It is because I  
used you. I gave you all the words that you wanted to hear and I let  
you believe things that were not true because it was in my best  
interest to do so. I gave no thought to how my actions might affect  
you, or how you would feel after all was said and done."  
  
She cupped his face in her hands and wiped away his tears.  
  
"I sense a noble spirit within you, Athan. You have the   
potential for greatness. Only one who was truly gifted could have  
done what you have done or gone as far as you have reached. However,  
you can never fully realize your potential on your own. You need  
the help of other people. People who care about you. People who  
love you. The first step towards earning the love of others consists  
of loving them yourself, and the process of loving others begins   
with understanding their feelings. I am giving you the rest of the  
month off. I want you to think about what I have said."  
  
So saying, she left. Athan remained seated on the bed for a   
long while after that, but he managed to get to his feet eventually.  
On his way to the door, he passed by a mirror. He frowned at the  
pretty face that looked back at him. He formed a fist with his right  
hand and struck it with all the power he could muster.   
  
*****  
  
"Wake up, Ranma!"  
  
Ranma awoke suddenly and found himself staring into the eyes  
of Kasumi Tendo. She was shaking him vigorously, concern evident in  
her eyes. He shook his head a few times to clear his thoughts and  
turned to her.  
  
"Kasumi, what happened?"  
  
He was taken aback when Kasumi suddenly engulfed him in a hug.  
  
"Oh Ranma, I was so worried! You were crying in your sleep, and  
I couldn't wake you up!"  
  
He stroked her back as she held him, trying to recall what   
his dream was about. Try as he would, however, he simply could not   
remember. He turned his attention back towards the young woman in  
his arms, and froze.  
  
Apparently, Kasumi didn't wear much to sleep. The filmy   
fabric of her sleep wear clung to her body like a second skin. He   
could feel every curve of her body as she pressed tightly against   
him. He reflexively pushed her back with both hands, trying to   
think of anything other than how her body felt against his.  
  
"I'm fine now, Kasumi. It was just a bad dream. You can go back  
to your room now."  
  
Kasumi reluctantly let him go.  
  
"If you say so, Ranma. Are you sure you don't want to have a  
cup of hot chocolate or anything? I could give you a massage to relax  
you if you want."  
  
Ranma shivered at the thought of receiving a massage from   
Kasumi in his current state. He quickly stood up and pushed her out of   
the room.  
  
"I'm really sure, Kasumi. It was just a weird dream. I'm fine,  
really."  
  
He closed the door behind her and made his way back to the  
futon he slept in. He looked towards his left and saw his father   
sleeping soundly. He settled down and went to sleep, all thoughts  
of his dream gone from his mind.  
  
*****  
  
"Finally, I can get to sleep!"  
  
Urd yawned as she turned off her Yggdrasil terminal. It had   
taken forever to get those dreams just right, and she was looking   
forward to getting a good night's sleep. She wearily got up and made   
her way back to her room. She needed to get some sleep at least. She   
had big plans for tomorrow.  
  
*****  
  
Author's Notes.  
  
I would like to thank Ash, Chester, Vex, Helmut Steeg, and   
Seaver for all of the help they gave me with this story.   
  
I would also like to thank Allyn Yonge, Chameleon, JJang13977,  
John Boydston, SPM, Matthew Lewis, The Dragonbard, Joel N. Fischoff  
and all the other people who helped answer my SM-related questions.  
  
Well, there you have it. The Athan side-story. I hope you  
enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Watch for a lot of  
Urd action on the next chapter of A Time for Wild Horses!  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters.  
  
Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake*****Omake***  
  
Sailor Uranus nodded to Sailor Neptune, signaling for the  
bucket of water to be dumped over Athan. He coughed violently when  
he finally came to, and she chuckled lightly as she watched him. He  
looked around the room for a few moments before he noticed the two of   
them looking at him. He tried to jump away, but the leather straps  
that bound him to the sturdy metal frame held fast. He pulled at  
them a few times before giving up in frustration. He glared daggers  
at them before yelling at Sailor Neptune.  
  
"You told me she wouldn't find me here!"   
  
Sailor Neptune stood up and walked around him, examining him  
as if for the first time.  
  
"No, I said she'd never guess you were here. She didn't, of  
course. She didn't have to, since I told her myself."  
  
His facial expression became a mask of anger and pain as he  
digested her words.   
  
"You set me up."  
  
Sailor Uranus walked towards him and cradled his head in her  
hands. She spoke softly as she stroked his feminine cheeks.  
  
"Yes we did, Athan. Don't worry, we'll make it up to you."  
  
He didn't resist as he had before. All the strength had gone  
from his limbs. He silently accepted her touch, as if resigned to his  
fate. Sailor Neptune raised his head to face her own, and spoke softly  
to him.  
  
"Do you have any idea of what we are going to do to you?"  
  
His reply came out as a whisper, almost too soft to be heard.  
Fortunately, the room they were in was shielded from all outside noises  
and she was able to understand him. It was only one word, but it spoke  
volumes.  
  
"Yes."  
  
She couldn't held but admire his courage. Others who knew of  
what was to happen would have been screaming at the top of their lungs  
for help by now. No matter, he would be screaming soon enough anyway.  
She decided to taunt him with a question.   
  
"Well then, let's begin."  
  
She picked up a whip that was lying on the floor and raised it  
over her head. She was just about to deliver the first strike when he  
stopped her by raising his hands and moving them around. She put the  
whip back down and crossed her arms in front of her.  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
He looked at her with pleading eyes. "Please, I just want to  
ask a question before we start."  
  
She raised her eyebrows in surprise. What could he possibly  
want to ask at a time like this?  
  
"What is it?"  
  
He looked back and forth between the two of them and took a few  
moments to breath before answering.  
  
"Aren't those outfits supposed to be black?"  
  
She looked at Sailor Neptune's sea-green leather outfit and  
her own blue version of it. She had been surprised when Queen Serenity  
handed them out to the senshi, but they had come in handy despite her  
doubts. She supposed it couldn't hurt to answer his question.  
  
"There are some things that not even a senshi can go against,  
and color scheme is one of them. Now shut up, you miserable little  
worm! You will speak when spoken to and not otherwise. Oh, and you   
will refer to me as your mistress for the rest of the evening... or  
you shall be punished."  
  
End Omake 


	10. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: If you own any of the characters used in this fic and can   
find me, feel free to sue. Otherwise, you'll have to settle for this  
disclaimer that says I do not own any of the characters used in this  
story and I make no profit for writing it.  
  
Warning: Toothpaste sandwiches do _not_ taste good.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 8  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
"Hey, what's that you're working on?"  
  
Belldandy hurriedly closed all the active programs on her   
terminal and swiveled her chair around to face the unexpected visitor.   
She quickly put on a bright smile as soon as she saw who it was.  
  
"Hello, Urd! What brings you here at this time of the day?"  
  
Urd frowned momentarily. It wasn't like Belldandy to avoid  
answering questions like that. It just made her all the more curious  
as to what was so interesting that her younger sister hadn't even   
noticed when she entered the office.  
  
"You didn't answer my question. What were you working on?"  
  
Belldandy waved dismissively towards her terminal. She smiled   
sweetly as she answered. "Oh, that? I was just looking over a few   
records, nothing important. Did you want me to do something for you?"  
  
Urd's frown deepened. She made a mental note to investigate  
whatever records Belldandy was looking at later. For now, though, she  
needed her sister's help.  
  
"Actually, I do need you to do something for me. I have some   
things to do in the mortal realm and I was wondering if you could cover  
for me while I'm gone. I promise not to take long."  
  
Belldandy paused as she considered Urd's request. Urd's job  
consisted mainly of maintaining the Yggdrasil in working condition, but  
the system basically ran itself anyway. This meant that Urd had a lot   
of free time on her hands to do as she pleased. However, it also meant  
that she had to be on call at all times just in case she was actually  
needed for something. Belldandy nodded her head as she answered.  
  
"I guess I could do it for a while, but you have to promise to   
get back as soon as you possibly can. I'm in the middle of something  
important right now."  
  
Urd's face broke into a grin as she hugged Belldandy and kissed  
her on the cheek. She quickly made her way out of the office, shouting  
her goodbyes as she left.  
  
"Thanks a lot, sis. Don't worry, I'll be back so fast you won't  
even notice I was gone. Bye!"  
  
Belldandy sighed as she configured her terminal to warn her if  
Urd was needed. She reopened the programs she had been running before  
her older sister had appeared, and groaned in frustration when she   
discovered that Yggdrasil still hadn't found either Skuld or Ukyo.   
  
The last records indicated that Skuld went to the cursed   
training grounds of Jusenkyo, where the magical energy swirling about   
made it difficult for Yggdrasil to continue tracking her. That was   
more than a day ago, and Skuld still hadn't emerged. Belldandy looked   
at the readings, and resumed waiting.  
  
*****  
  
"Wake up, Ranma."  
  
Ranma immediately got up and jumped to his feet, arms in front  
of him and ready to counter any blows headed his way. His eyes darted  
left and right as he scanned the room for threats. They narrowed into  
slits when he saw Akane. Ranma's brain went into high gear as it  
attempted to analyze the situation.   
  
Akane had awakened him from sleep, which meant he had slept   
late again. His mind drifted back to the previous night, when Kasumi   
had roused him from another one of those weird dreams he had been   
having lately. Akane must have found out somehow! Why else would she   
have taken the time to wake him up instead of going ahead to school?   
His mind raced to come up with a suitable course of action, and   
decided that outright denial was best suited for the situation.  
  
"I didn't do nuthin', okay? I never touched her!"  
  
Akane looked at Ranma in confusion as he held his hands   
protectively in front of him. Was he trying to hide something from her?   
Was he talking about Sailor V? Was she already too late?   
  
"What are you talking about, Ranma?"  
  
Ranma never even heard Akane's question. The only thought in   
his sleep-deprived mind was that he had to explain why Kasumi was in   
his room last night.  
  
"It wasn't my fault! She hugged me first, I swear!"  
  
Akane forced herself to reign in her anger. It appeared that  
Ranma _had_ done something with one of the senshi yesterday. That would  
explain why he had been so late coming home for the past few days. He  
must have been secretly meeting with Sailor V. Her hands curled into   
fists as she prepared to knock him into orbit. At the last moment,   
however, the events of the past night came flooding back to her.  
  
*****  
  
"What an idiot! I can't believe he'd actually go after Sailor  
V of all people. What a pervert!"  
  
Nodoka Saotome watched disapprovingly as Akane reduced yet   
another brick to dust and walked over to the corner of the dojo to get  
a new load. Her son's fiancee had been acting like this since she saw   
Ranma's picture on TV with the Sailor Senshi. Nodoka held onto the   
katana she always carried with her, and slowly walked over to where   
the youngest Tendo daughter was poised to strike at another helpless   
brick.  
  
"Akane, we need to talk."  
  
Akane stopped midway into her strike and stared at Nodoka with  
wide eyes. She hadn't even heard the woman enter the dojo. Was everyone  
in this house a master at Anything-Goes except herself? She quickly hid  
her surprise behind a half-hearted smile before replying.  
  
"What do you want to talk about, Auntie Saotome?"  
  
Nodoka quickly took Akane's hand and led her out of the dojo.  
  
"Let's go someplace else first, dear. The walls have ears, you   
know."  
  
As the two made their way outside, one of the sliding doors to   
the dojo finally gave in to the combined weight of Kasumi, Nabiki,   
Soun, and Genma, who was in panda form. Genma quickly raised a wooden   
sign with a few badly scrawled words on it.  
  
"Darn that woman! She is wise to our ways!"  
  
Soun brushed the dust off his gi as he stood up beside Genma.  
He helped his two daughters up before speaking.  
  
"She must get it from being the wife of a martial artist,  
Saotome."  
  
Nabiki tapped on her tape recorder and checked it for damage as   
she spoke.  
  
"Actually, I think it was Mr. Saotome's huge silhouette showing   
through the door that tipped her off."  
  
Kasumi hummed as she cleaned the dust off of the dojo's floor,   
oblivious to the conversation going on around her.  
  
*****  
  
"Akane, please have a seat."  
  
Akane's mind was whirling with questions as she sat down on  
the side of her bed. What was Ranma's mother up to this time? She   
waited impatiently as Nodoka slowly took a seat beside her and held  
her hand. The older woman held her close and whispered softly in her  
ear.  
  
"Do you love my son?"  
  
Akane's jaw dropped when she heard the question. Her first   
instinct was to deny any interest in Ranma whatsoever. In fact, she   
had already opened her mouth for a retort when she saw the serious  
look on Nodoka's face. She stopped before uttering a single sound,  
the words caught in her throat.   
  
"Take your time and think it over, dear. I want an honest  
answer from you."  
  
Nodoka waited patiently while Akane gathered her thoughts.  
She had been led to believe that Ranma and Akane were happily in love.  
Everyone had assured her that the wedding was a mere formality, that  
the kids couldn't wait to tie the knot.   
  
Did everyone think she was a moron?  
  
Those three girls that had come to visit her while her house  
was still whole, they had all claimed to be Ranma's betrothed. Ranma's  
reluctance to give Akane her medicine box. The brick Akane had thrown   
at her son while he was entertaining his girlfriends. Now there was   
this business with those young women from Juuban. There were apparently   
quite a few other women in Ranma's life. He was obviously cheating on Akane.  
  
'How manly of him!'  
  
She had always known that her son was special, but to lure the   
famed Sailor Senshi themselves into his thrall? The thought was almost   
enough to bring tears of joy to her eyes. The reporter had been unsure   
whether Ranma was seeing one of the blonde girls or the tall one with   
the ponytail, but she knew the truth. He was obviously seeing all of   
them at once and they were just working out the schedule. Her son was   
turning out to be quite the ladies man!  
  
She was distracted from her thoughts when she felt Akane  
moving. She allowed the girl to break free of her grasp and sat back,  
waiting for an answer. Akane took a deep breath, and hung her head in  
shame as she spoke.  
  
"I... I don't know."  
  
Tears started falling from the girl's eyes as she spoke, and  
Nodoka quickly wiped them away. She held Akane tightly against her as   
more and more tears started falling. A few minutes later, she pushed   
Akane back to arm's length and used her handkerchief to wipe away the   
tears that remained. She cupped Akane's face in her hands and spoke   
softly, making eye contact with her son's fiancee as she did so.  
  
"I love you very much Akane. You know that you are very   
precious to me. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to see  
you and Ranma happily married. You have proven to me that you will  
be a good wife to whomever you choose to wed."  
  
Akane smiled and blushed at the compliments. She opened her  
mouth to thank Nodoka, but was silenced when Nodoka continued speaking.  
  
"However, in spite of that, I will not force my son into a  
marriage that he does not want. I suggest you find out for sure where  
your feelings lie and act on them. You are not the only woman in my   
son's life, and I care for him too much to marry him off to someone   
who does not love him."  
  
Nodoka kissed Akane's forehead and stood up, slowly walking  
towards the door leading out of Akane's room. She left a few parting  
words before leaving Akane to her thoughts.  
  
"Don't worry about your decision too much, dear. Just follow  
your heart and everything will turn out fine."  
  
*****  
  
Akane grit her teeth as she forced her fists open. She had  
come to an important conclusion after her talk with Mrs. Saotome.  
  
She loved Ranma.  
  
She wasn't about to tell the whole district about it, but she  
had finally admitted to herself that she loved Ranma. Maybe he was an  
idiot and a jerk, but she still loved him. Besides, if he wasn't always  
doing perverted things with those girlfriends of his, she could be so   
much nicer to him than any of them. All she had to do was get him to  
see that.  
  
"Breakfast is ready, Ranma. Won't you come down to eat? I'd  
really like it if you did. Kasumi made your favo-"  
  
Ranma cut Akane off before she could finish. "How was _I_  
supposed to know that she was- huh?"  
  
Akane used all of her willpower to resist the urge to throw  
a punch at her fiance. Nodoka's words rang in her head.  
  
'I will not force my son into a marriage that he does not   
want.'  
  
She forced herself to smile and took his hand in hers. She led   
him downstairs, where the rest of the family was waiting.  
  
"Never mind, Ranma. You can tell me all about it on the way  
to school."  
  
*****  
  
"La la la! Busy! Busy! Busy!"  
  
Konatsu finished polishing the tables for the fourteenth time   
that night, and prepared to mop the floors for the seventeenth time.   
His Mistress Ukyo had left a note with standing orders not to do   
anything other than mop the floor, polish the tables, and clean the   
countertop while she was gone. He wished that she wouldn't be gone much   
longer. It's been two days of non-stop cleaning for him and he _really_   
needed to go to the bathroom.  
  
He was just about finished with the floor when he felt it.   
Something was coming, something incredibly powerful. The air around  
him felt charged with electricity as he looked around for the source  
of the energy. He quickly jumped towards the ceiling, using his skills   
as a kunoichi to grab onto it like a spider. His time at Nerima had  
taught him to be ready for anything, and he prepared to attack or  
flee as necessary. Suddenly, a bright light burst forth from the   
kitchen, blinding him momentarily. He rubbed his eyes with both hands  
to clear them, and fell onto the floor in a heap when he lost his  
grip on the ceiling.   
  
"Ouch!"  
  
Konatsu groaned and rubbed the bump on his head as he slowly   
got up. He looked suspiciously towards the kitchen, ready for anything  
that might happen. Suddenly, an exquisite, mouth-watering stalk of   
celery flew from the kitchen and fell onto the floor directly in front   
of him. The enticing sight was enough to make him drool like a baby.  
  
"Celery! It looks so delicious!"  
  
He quickly bent down to pick it up, giggling girlishly as he  
imagined gobbling up the small vegetable. Suddenly, he felt a sharp  
pain on the back of his head. Then the world went dark.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma Saotome was confused. Not only was Akane being unusually  
nice to him, no one was asking any questions at all about where he had  
been yesterday. He was almost annoyed that his carefully crafted story  
about being abducted by aliens would go to waste. He looked at the  
people gathered around the table for signs that something was up.  
  
Kasumi was eating quietly, as was his mother beside her. His  
dad was inhaling the food around him and somehow chatting up Mr. Tendo  
at the same time. Nabiki was eating at a leisurely pace, avoiding his  
father's attempts at food theft with surprising ease. Akane was eating  
slowly as well, stopping momentarily to smile at him when she noticed  
that he was looking at her. He couldn't help but marvel at the sheer  
cuteness that radiated from her in waves whenever she did that.  
  
"You'd best be going, children. You'll be late for school."  
  
Ranma was jolted from his thoughts by his mother's statement.  
He looked at the clock and found that there was only an hour left   
before classes started. He cursed himself for taking so much time to  
stare at everybody. He had barely even finished his fourth bowl of  
rice. Suddenly, a hand appeared out of nowhere and grabbed his own.  
He looked at its owner and was surprised to see Akane looking back at  
him, her face still adorned with her cute smile.  
  
"Come on, Ranma. We don't want to be late for school!"  
  
Ranma allowed Akane to drag him outside. There was something  
going on that he wasn't aware of. As long as it was distracting   
everyone from his recent trips to Juuban, however, he was all for it.  
  
*****  
  
Akane Tendo was in high spirits. So far, Ranma was reacting   
quite favorably to her actions. It had been a stroke of genius on her   
part to enlist Nabiki's aid in this. Who could have guessed that the   
least romantic member of her family was actually an expert in affairs   
of the heart?   
  
She had been doubtful of her sister's advice at first. It just  
didn't make any sense for her not to cook breakfast for Ranma. Wasn't  
food the quickest way to a man's heart? However, looking back at the   
way Ranma had blushed when she smiled at him, she was glad for having  
followed it anyway. Best of all, Nabiki had agreed to let her pay in  
monthly installments and with no interest.  
  
She glanced at him, remembering to smile as she did so. He  
quickly averted his eyes from where they had been staring at her and  
hung his head in shame. If this had taken place last week, she would  
have smashed his head in for staring at her. However, armed with the  
knowledge that Ranma couldn't help himself from gazing at her beauty,  
she actually found it flattering.   
  
She giggled, causing Ranma to blush harder. It was time for   
phase two.  
  
Akane slowly moved her grip from Ranma's hand, sliding her   
fingers until they were holding onto his arm. She rested her head  
against his shoulder while they walked, her face breaking into a  
grin when she felt him shudder at her touch.   
  
"Do you think I'm cute, Ranma?"  
  
She felt him stiffen suddenly, and she almost had to drag him  
along just to keep moving. Nabiki had said this would happen, and she  
wasn't really worried or anything.   
  
"Um... why do you ask?"  
  
Akane almost laughed out loud. Ranma was acting exactly as  
Nabiki had predicted.   
  
"Don't I deserve to know if my fiance thinks I'm cute?"  
  
Ranma stiffened further in her grasp. She could hear him   
breathing loudly as he scrambled for an answer. It was time for her  
finishing move. Taking a small onion from her pocket, she crushed  
it near her eyes. A few seconds later, Ranma's nose twitched as he  
detected the new odor.  
  
"Akane, do you smell anyth-"  
  
Ranma never got to finish his question. Akane cut him off by  
pushing him away and facing him with tears in her eyes.  
  
"You think I'm ugly, don't you? You think I'm ugly and smelly  
and that's why you're always so mean to me."  
  
Ranma immediately tried to comfort her. Just as Nabiki had   
said, he was caught completely off guard by the tears.   
  
"No, that's not what I meant! I don't think you're ugly or  
smelly at all. I think you're very cute!"  
  
Akane stopped crying. She felt all warm inside. This must  
have been how Ukyo felt the first time Ranma called her cute. Having   
felt it herself, Akane realized that she could hardly blame the   
okonomiyaki chef for chasing after Ranma. She dried her tears and  
gave him another one of her smiles. She pressed herself against his  
side as she asked her next question.  
  
"Cuter than Sailor V?"  
  
Ranma's mouth hung open as he realized what he had just said.  
This was going to take a lot of explaining to fix. He laughed nervously  
and scratched the back of his head, trying to buy time. He was almost  
relieved when he heard a familiar voice calling out to him.  
  
"So, the villainous Ranma Saotome returns to Nerima. You would  
dare to seduce my fair Akane Tendo with your sly words so soon after  
cheating on her with no less than five other women? Tatewaki Kuno,  
the blue thunder of Furinkan high, shall not allow this!"  
  
Akane moved to pull Ranma away from his bokken-wielding   
opponent, but Ranma held her back with his arm. He cracked his knuckles   
and stared directly at Kuno's eyes as he spoke.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, Kuno, but I'm taking  
you down."  
  
Ranma quickly ran towards his opponent and jumped high into the  
air, positioning himself so that the sun would be in Kuno's eyes should  
the kendoist look up at him. If he played this fight right, he might be  
able to buy enough time to come up with a good answer for Akane.  
  
*****  
  
"No way! Ranma be giving this school great honor in athletic  
events. I nevah gonna let him go. He be studyin' at Furinkan all his  
life! Besides, he still be having that silly pigtail of his."  
  
Principal Kuno angrily slammed his fists on the table in front  
of him and glared at the woman who had dared to take Ranma away to  
another school with her. She had just entered his office without so  
much as an appointment and demanded that he go along with her silly  
little student exchange program. On top of all that, she badly needed  
a haircut.  
  
"I'm afraid I do not understand the logic behind your words.  
As principal of this school, shouldn't it be your goal to help all of  
your students to graduate?"  
  
Urd was starting to get really annoyed with Principal Kuno. He  
was a royal pain in the ass. Not only did he try to cut her hair with  
a huge pair of scissors when she first entered, he also tried to give  
her an explosive watermelon as a gift. Of course, being a goddess, the  
attacks were useless against her. Nonetheless, she was irritated that  
he would even try. She couldn't understand what had possessed her to  
arrange for his daughter to fall in love with Ranma. While the girl was  
beautiful in her own way and her body was arguably one of the most well  
formed among Ranma's suitors, she was almost as crazy as her dad.  
  
"I am de big kahuna in dis school, and I be doin' whatevah I  
please for whatevah reason I want. Ranma will not be goin' out of this  
school, and there's nothing you can do to change my mind."  
  
Urd sat quietly as Principal Kuno ranted in front of her. She  
contemplated turning him into a giant pineapple, but decided that the  
punishment she would incur as a result of such an action wasn't worth  
it. She had lots to do in the mortal realm, and she couldn't afford to  
lose her traveling privileges now. She decided on a subtler approach  
to get her way. She called upon her godly powers to aid her, and her   
eyes started to glow with power as she spoke to Principal Kuno once  
more.  
  
"Ranma has been a thorn in your side since you first got here.   
Without him, you would have established order around here already. You   
even might have convinced the students to get those haircuts by now.   
You _want_ Ranma to transfer to another school."  
  
Principal Kuno stopped smiling and looked at Urd with wide eyes  
as his face went slack and all of his attention went to her. Her words   
made sense. Ranma was the only thing standing between him and total   
control of Furinkan. Besides, she had the most beautiful eyes he had   
ever seen. They seemed to shine with all the colors of the rainbow. He  
continued gazing at her for a few seconds before answering.  
  
"Want... Ranma... to transfer..."  
  
Urd grinned. This was going to be easy.  
  
*****  
  
"She's late again."  
  
Minako impatiently tapped her foot on the floor as she waited  
for Usagi to arrive at school. They had agreed to discuss their plans   
for Ranma before homeroom started, but Usagi was nowhere in sight.   
There were only twenty more minutes to go before homeroom.   
  
"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll get here soon. Usagi's just not  
a morning person."  
  
Makoto crossed her arms in front of her chest and pouted. A  
passing boy fell in love with her when he saw how cute the action made  
her look, but quickly fell out of love when he realized that she was  
almost two feet taller than him. Such differences could never be   
resolved, he reasoned to himself, and he went on with the rest of his   
life never giving her a second thought.   
  
"I say we start without her. We can come up with a plan to  
rescue Ranma from his fiancees and just tell Usagi about it when she  
gets here."  
  
Makoto leaned on the wall behind her, waiting for her   
companions to reply. Minako was quick to answer.  
  
"That's a great idea. What do you think, Ami-chan?"  
  
Ami placed her hands on her desk, her eyes looking back and   
forth between Makoto and Minako.   
  
"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, Ranma didn't exactly   
ask for our help."  
  
Minako sighed and took Ami's right hand between both of hers.  
She locked eyes with the blue-haired girl and spoke slowly, making sure  
that Ami listened closely to every word she said.  
  
"If you saw a child crossing the street and a bus was about to  
run him over, what would you do?"  
  
Ami immediately knew what Minako was building up to. She opened   
her mouth to reply but was cut off by Makoto, who had taken hold of her   
left hand much like Minako had done to her right.  
  
"You'd rescue the kid, right? It's the same way with Ranma. We  
can't wait for him to ask for our help because he might not be able to  
see that he's about to get run over."  
  
Before Ami could answer, she was interrupted yet again by  
Minako.  
  
"Exactly, we have to help Ranma even though he doesn't realize  
that he needs help yet. If we wait till he's run over, it'll be too  
late."  
  
Ami sighed in defeat. It was useless to argue with Minako and  
Makoto when they already had their hearts set on something.   
  
*****  
  
Akane was starting to get worried. Ranma was taking an   
unusually long time to fight Kuno. They had been going at it for almost  
four minutes now, a new record. What was wrong with Ranma? He was  
avoiding the older boy's attacks with ease but he wasn't attacking at  
all. What was going on?  
  
She crept closer to the two combatants, tightening her grip  
on her bag. All she needed was one clear shot at Kuno.  
  
"Strike, strike, strike!"  
  
Kuno growled in anger as Ranma evaded his attacks effortlessly.  
To make matters worse, Ranma wasn't even attacking. Ranma was mocking   
him. He stepped to the right, hoping that the action would confuse his  
opponent enough for him to land an attack. As he prepared to strike at   
Ranma anew, he saw a movement from the corner of his eye. He turned  
around immediately, his bokken slashing at the space behind him.   
  
"Strike!"  
  
Akane raised her arms to block Kuno's attack in a feeble move  
to defend herself. The speed of Kuno's attack took her completely by   
surprise. She shut her eyes and waited for the blow to connect.   
  
It never did.  
  
When Akane opened her eyes again, Ranma was already in front  
of her. His right arm was blocking Kuno's bokken. Ranma grabbed Kuno's   
arm with his left hand and threw him against a concrete wall, knocking   
the kendoist unconscious. He slowly brought his right arm down,   
cradling it with his left. He turned around to face Akane and shouted.  
  
"Why did you do that? What were you thinking? Were you even   
thinking at all?"  
  
Akane shook herself out of her daze and glared at Ranma. Where   
did he get off saying such things? After all, she was trying to help   
him! Did he think she was too weak to defend herself? She was a martial   
artist too!  
  
"What are you talking about? I was trying to help you!"  
  
Ranma gave her a look of anger as he replied.   
  
"If you really want to help me, stay the heck out of my fights!  
Do you even realize how close you came to losing an arm today?"  
  
Akane looked at the arm Ranma was still cradling. It had a  
large bruise and looked really painful. Ranma had wrecked boulders with  
that arm and remained unscathed. She looked at her own arms and tried  
to imagine what would have happened if Kuno's attack had managed to  
hit them. She looked back at the memories of her previous fights with  
Kuno, where she had blocked a lot of his strikes with ease. He must  
have been holding back when he fought her. She quickly picked up her  
bag from the street and ran towards the school, tears falling from her   
eyes.  
  
"Akane...."  
  
Ranma moved to follow her, but the sharp pain in his right arm  
stopped him. Kuno had used a lot of force on that last blow, and it had  
come too fast for him to block it properly. It hurt like hell. He would  
have to talk to Akane later. Right now, he had to get his arm bandaged  
at Doctor Tofu's to stop the swelling.  
  
"Ranma, you jerk!"  
  
Akane ran blindly towards the school, ignoring her tears. The  
day had started so perfectly, how had it come to this? Why did Ranma  
have to be so mean to her? She was just trying to help. Why did all  
this have to happen anyway? Things were just fine up until yesterday,  
when she found out that her latest rivals for Ranma's love were none  
other than the very symbols of love themselves.  
  
She caught sight of Furinkan High's gates, where a mob of boys   
wielding various weapons was gathered. They must have seen the news   
yesterday and assumed that she was free again now that Ranma was dating   
Sailor V. She broke into a smile as she increased her speed. At least   
some things never changed.  
  
*****  
  
"There you go. That should stop the swelling. Don't worry too  
much about it. The arm should be fine by tomorrow."  
  
Doctor Tofu smiled at Ranma as he finished bandaging the   
injured arm. It looked a lot worse than it actually was. It would heal  
quickly by itself, and he just had to relieve the pain.  
  
"Thanks a lot, Doc! It feels good as new!"  
  
Ranma quickly left the clinic and made his way towards Furinkan  
High. He managed to get there rather quickly by hopping from rooftop to  
rooftop in a beeline for the school. He was a little put off by the   
bodies littering the front gate, but decided not to bother stopping  
when he saw that the people were not dead, but unconscious. He leapt at  
the window of his classroom and made it just as Ms. Hinako was entering  
the room.   
  
He looked at Akane's seat, and was relieved to see that she   
was there and that she had stopped crying. She looked at him and smiled  
faintly, then turned away. He would have to talk to her again at lunch.  
  
Ms. Hinako opened her record book to begin roll call, but a   
loud voice coming from the speaker system interrupted her.  
  
"Paging student Ranma Saotome, please report to the principal's  
office immediately."  
  
The students began to whisper amongst themselves as Ranma stood  
up and made his way out of the room. Ms. Hinako glared at them, and  
they all fell silent.  
  
*****  
  
"That's all? I see. I want you to stay there for a while and  
find out more, Shampoo. Try keeping near the school. They have mostly  
been sighted near the school grounds."  
  
Cologne put down the phone slowly, her mind deep in thought.  
Things could get out of hand if she didn't act quickly. If Shampoo was  
to fail in her mission, drastic measures would have to be taken. Age  
old secrets would have to be revealed. She held her staff tightly as  
she hopped back to the restaurant.  
  
'You must succeed, Shampoo. You simply must.'  
  
*****  
  
Ranma knocked on the door to the principal's office carefully,  
ready to jump out of the way at the slightest sign of a trap. He was  
surprised when Principal Kuno himself opened it and led him in.   
  
"Aloha, Ranma! You gonna be one very happy student once you   
hear what we have to say! Please have a seat."  
  
Ranma noticed that another person was already seated in front   
of the desk. It was a woman. She seemed very familiar, and he looked   
closely at her as he sat down on the chair opposite hers. She smiled at   
him, and he blushed at having been caught staring. He was about to   
stammer an apology when Principal Kuno's voice cut him off.  
  
"I would like you to meet Ms. Urd! She be a representative of  
the Ministry of Education and she be solvin' all of my... er... all of  
_your_ problems!"  
  
Ranma looked at the woman sitting across from him again. She   
had beautiful silver hair set off by her dark skin. He wondered what   
country she was from. She certainly didn't look Japanese to him.   
However beautiful she was, though, he doubted that she could solve any  
of his problems at all. If she was another crackpot teacher like Ms.  
Hinako, she would more likely than not add to them. She smiled brightly  
at him and offered her hand to shake. He raised his own and she shook  
it with surprising vigor. She was definitely stronger than she looked.  
She let go of his hand and reached into her bag, bringing out a small  
pad of paper and writing on it as she spoke to him.  
  
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Ranma. I've had my eye on  
you for a while now and I think I have the perfect solution for all of  
your problems."  
  
She finished writing on the paper and handed it to him. He saw  
that it was littered with various lines of numbers. He looked up at her  
and she resumed talking.  
  
"That paper contains all of my contact numbers. My email   
address is at the bottom. Please don't hesitate to call me if you ever  
need anything. In fact, call me even if you don't! I'll never be too  
busy to talk to you."  
  
Ranma frowned as he tucked the paper into his wallet and turned  
to Principal Kuno, talking as he did so.  
  
"Hey, not so fast! I don't even know what you have planned yet.  
If this is another one of your stupid hide-and-seek games, I don't want  
any part of it!"  
  
Principal Kuno gasped in shock at Ranma's words. He quickly  
recovered with a smile and started talking again.  
  
"You have it all wrong, keiki. You see, I wen thinkin' about   
things lately, and I noticed dat Furinkan just isn't right for you. I  
spent many sleepless nights thinkin' of a propa' way to solve yo'   
problem when Ms. Urd here came to me with da perfect solution!"  
  
Ranma turned towards Ms. Urd, who was still seated on her  
chair.  
  
"And what solution would that be?"  
  
Urd smiled at him, her face taking on a cute look that he found  
oddly frightening.   
  
"It's simple, really. We have determined that most if not all  
of the problems you are currently facing stem from the fact that   
Furinkan High is simply not compatible with you. We feel that you   
bring out the worst in Furinkan High's students because of this   
incompatibility, though we do not hold you responsible for it. To   
remedy the situation, we will transfer you to a different school in   
another district."  
  
Hiroshi and Daisuke immediately stopped eavesdropping on them  
and announced what they heard to the students gathered behind them. The  
news spread like wildfire, quickly becoming the most important piece  
of gossip for the day. Unaware of what happened, Ranma continued to sit  
in front of the principal's desk with Ms. Urd. He turned to Principal  
Kuno incredulously.  
  
"You're not serious about this, are you?"  
  
Principal Kuno laughed out loud.  
  
"I be very serious, keiki. You just do everything Ms. Urd tells  
you and you be fine."  
  
He turned to Urd and handed her a shiny red apple.  
  
"Please take dis as a symbol of our thanks for all da help you  
be givin' us. We at Furinkan be very grateful to you, Ms. Urd."  
  
Ranma opened his mouth to warn her about the principal's thing  
for explosive fruits, but Ms. Urd was already biting into the apple.  
He closed his eyes, expecting a huge explosion to come anytime soon.  
  
"What are you doing, Ranma? Is there something in your eye?"  
  
Ranma slowly opened his eyes and was astounded to see that Urd  
was still in one piece, happily eating the rest of the apple. He  
turned to Principal Kuno, who wore an unreadable expression on his  
face. What was going on here? He was disrupted from his thoughts   
when he felt Ms. Urd tugging on his arm.  
  
"We'd better get going, Ranma. I want you to take me to your   
house so I can speak with your parents about this."  
  
Ranma allowed himself to be dragged out of the office, his  
respect for the silver-haired woman holding his arm growing.  
  
*****  
  
Principal Kuno watched Ranma and the representative from the  
Ministry of Education leave his office. What had gone wrong? He  
had prepared that apple himself. Why didn't it explode?  
  
He decided to just let it go. Ranma was gone, and that was all  
that mattered. In a few days, Furinkan High would become the school  
he had always dreamed about. He looked on his desk for a sheet of   
paper. There was no time to lose. He had to make plans! He tore off  
a piece of paper from a pad on his desk and opened his drawer to  
look for a pen. The moment he opened it, a shiny red apple bounced  
out onto his lap. He was just able to see the fuse stuck to the   
apple as it burned itself out.  
  
'Uh-oh'  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
I would like to thank Chester, Vex, Thermopyle, Shravan Sunder,   
Drednax, and Helmut Steeg for all of the help they gave me on this   
chapter.   
  
I had a lot more planned for this chapter, but the Akane scenes  
turned out to be too long and took over most of the chapter. I know I  
promised a lot more of Urd, but I just couldn't fit her in. Gomen. Rest  
assured that her scenes were not removed from the story, just bumped   
into the next chapter.   
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	11. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: If you think I own these characters, or that I make money  
doing this... well... you're wrong.  
  
Warning: Some of the lemons at the TMFFA _really_ suck.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 9  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
"Die."  
  
Haruka sat back and watched Michiru attack the angel with her  
progressive knife, cutting it to pieces. The pilot of Unit 00 was truly  
a force to be reckoned with. She herself remained in place, ready to  
provide assistance at a moment's notice. Michiru didn't seem to need   
any help, though. She was cutting through the angel like a hot knife  
through butter. A few seconds later, the angel was lying in pieces on  
the ground. Michiru smiled.  
  
"The angel has been neutralized. Mission accomplished."  
  
Haruka stared at the remains of the angel. It was a pity, really.   
Of all the enemies she had ever faced, this was the only one who actually   
_looked_ like an angel. It even had a halo. Coupled with its blonde hair,   
gorgeous figure, flowing white robes, and golden harp, it looked almost   
like a real messenger of God. That, or one of Mr. Ryouji's stripper   
friends.  
  
She sighed. Mamoru could be such a pervert sometimes. She   
shuddered as she recalled the time Mamoru had invited her to go out  
and look at a few 'melons'.  
  
Caught up in her thoughts as she was, she failed to notice that  
the angel was repairing itself, its pieces quickly fusing back together   
to return to its former state. Michiru noticed, though. It was hard not  
to, since the angel had tripped her Eva to the ground and was bashing  
it over the head with its surprisingly heavy harp. She grunted and   
moaned in pain, producing sounds that made the bridge crew blush as   
their minds collectively went to the gutter.  
  
It was those same sounds that distracted Haruka from her   
thoughts. The young pilot gasped in shock as her eyes focused on the   
sight in front of her. She dashed towards the angel and kicked it as   
hard as she could, feeling the sting on her leg as Unit 01's blow   
connected with the angel. It had the desired effect, however, and Unit   
00 was now no longer making an impression of a giant mecha robot being  
pummeled to death by an equally huge opponent. She turned to the  
unmoving Eva lying on the ground and tried to contact its pilot.  
  
"Michiru, are you okay? Michiru!"  
  
A cold feeling came over her when she heard no reply. She   
glanced at the angel, who was trying to get up but having trouble with  
its tangled robes. She was just about to charge it in a fury of  
righteous anger when a small screen appeared on the upper left corner  
of the Eva's display panel. Captain Rei Katsuragi's face could be seen  
on it. She had a look of determination on her face that Haruka found   
extremely attractive.  
  
"Haruka, don't worry about Michiru. We managed to sever the  
nerve connections before her Eva was put out of commission. For now,  
concentrate on taking out that angel!"  
  
Haruka breathed a sigh of relief. She picked up a rifle that  
was conveniently lying beside Unit 01's feet, aimed carefully at the   
angel, and pulled the trigger.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
She tried again. Still nothing.   
  
The rifle was jammed. She was thinking about trying a third   
time when a blast of sound knocked her Eva off its feet. She covered   
her ears with her hands as the blast continued to penetrate the armor   
of her Eva. She opened an eye and squinted at the angel. It was somehow   
using its harp to generate the ear-splitting sonic attack ringing in   
her ears. She had to end this quickly or she would surely fall   
unconscious.   
  
She forced herself to ignore the pain and rolled her Eva out of  
the sound's way. Before the angel had a chance to re-orient its attack,  
she was already on top of it with her progressive knife. She slashed at  
it as fast as she could, cutting it to pieces in a matter of seconds.  
  
She jumped back and looked at the angel's remains. Her hands  
started shaking when she noticed that the pieces were once again   
repairing themselves. She opened a communications link back to the   
bridge.  
  
"It won't die! What do I do?"  
  
*****  
  
Captain Rei Katsuragi turned to the blonde scientist beside her   
with a questioning look on her face.   
  
Ami Akagi had naturally blue hair, but she dyed it blonde because   
people were always mistaking her for a certain violent manga character   
that she couldn't stand. She ran her hands over her short hair and turned   
to her assistant.  
  
"Makoto, have you found the core yet?"  
  
Makoto quickly typed on her computer, wishing that it would  
hurry up. Her sempai was counting on her! She smiled when the result  
appeared on the screen. She printed it out on a piece of paper and  
handed it to Ami.  
  
"I've found it, sempai! I've found the core!"  
  
Ami studied the diagramin front of her. It was no wonder the  
angel had survived. The core was hidden in a place neither Haruka or  
Michiru had thought to stab. She quickly gave the piece of paper to  
Rei, who was unsure whether or not to believe what was written on it.  
She turned to Ami, who was trying valiantly to hold back a blush.  
  
"Are you sure about this?"  
  
Ami simply nodded. Rei looked at the diagram once again, sighed  
in exasperation, and turned to Usagi.  
  
"Usagi, send a copy of this to Unit 01."  
  
As Usagi got to work, Rei spoke once more into the microphone  
that served as her communications link to Unit 01.  
  
"Haruka, you have to go for its core. We're sending you the  
information right now."  
  
Haruka looked at the diagram as it appeared on the display   
panel, breaking into a grin after reading it. This was going to be   
easy. She ran towards the newly formed angel and tackled it, going   
straight for the core once they hit the ground.  
  
*****  
  
Minako had never seen anything like it.   
  
She had watched the battles against all the previous angels   
with her own eyes, and this was completely different from the tactics   
they had used before. She turned to Ami, who was blushing furiously as   
she watched. Minako glanced at Usagi and Makoto, who sat quietly on   
both sides of her. She turned to Rei, who was staring at the screen   
with the rest of them. The Captain whispered a few words so softly that   
Minako almost missed them.  
  
"She's... eating the angel."  
  
Above them, Commander Setsuna Ikari turned to Hotaru, who was  
wordlessly watching the battle as it unfolded. She placed her hands   
in front of her and spoke without looking away from the screen.  
  
"Hotaru."  
  
Hotaru glanced at Setsuna, her face flushed and beaded with  
sweat.  
  
"Yes, commander?"  
  
Setsuna waited a few seconds before answering.  
  
"Turn around and close your eyes, child."  
  
Hotaru pouted as she turned the other way. Just when things   
were getting interesting, too! She crossed her arms in front of her and  
answered back with a remark that dripped of sarcasm.  
  
"I suppose this is also part of your plan?"  
  
Setsuna continued watching the screen for a few moments.  
  
"Maybe."  
  
*****  
  
Haruka was having the time of her life. The angel was on the   
verge of... destruction. It was struggling fiercely, obviously unable  
to withstand the direct assault she was inflicting upon its core. She  
held onto the angel with both hands, keeping it in place. Suddenly, just   
when it was about to explode, a bright light filled her eyes and she was  
forced to close them. When she opened them a few moments later, she was  
no longer inside her Eva.  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
Haruka looked at her surroundings, wondering where she was and   
how she got there. What was going on? She was floating aimlessly in a   
place that was filled with various colors, all glowing brightly as they   
moved unpredictably around her. It almost hurt her eyes to look at   
them. Slowly, the colors in front of her began to coalesce into a human   
shape. Haruka gasped when she recognized the man who had materialized   
in front of her.  
  
'Athan!'  
  
She shook her head and looked at him again. It was Ranma, not  
Athan. Who was Athan anyway? She didn't know any guys named Athan. Why   
had she called him by that name? Her train of thought was derailed when   
Ranma started speaking to her.  
  
"Haruka-chan. Do you want to become one with me? Do you want us   
to become one in body and soul? It feels so wonderful, Haruka-chan. Set  
your mind free, Haruka-chan. Relax."  
  
Haruka blushed. She had no idea he felt that way... that he  
wanted to... surely he didn't mean....  
  
*****  
  
"Wake up, Haruka."  
  
Haruka Ten'oh opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. It was   
a nice ceiling, she thought to herself. Of course, she was no expert on  
ceilings, but she was happy with it. She vaguely considered how having  
a room with a nice ceiling had contributed to her development as a   
human being. Had her room not been blessed with a nice ceiling, would   
she be the same person she was today? Would she have done the same   
things? Would she have made the same decisions?   
  
'I've been watching too much anime.'  
  
She sat up and yawned, stretching her arms above her head and   
causing the blanket to fall to her waist. She shook her head a few   
times and breathed deeply before speaking.  
  
"What time is it?"  
  
Michiru paused in front of the mirror and put her hair brush   
down in front of her. She opened her jewelry box and rummaged in it for  
a suitable pair of earrings while answering Haruka.  
  
"It's almost nine. I didn't wake up until eight, actually, when  
Hotaru came to get her allowance. It was already too late to go to our  
morning classes so I decided to cut them. We can still make it for our   
afternoon classes, though."  
  
Haruka rubbed her eyes and tried to recall the details of her  
late night games with Michiru. They were admittedly fun, but cleaning  
up afterwards was hell. She wasn't able to sleep until a few hours   
before dawn. She looked at Michiru, who seemed to be doing just fine.  
In fact, if you looked closely enough, she almost seemed to have a   
little more energy than usual.  
  
"What's with you?"  
  
Michiru looked at herself in the mirror from different angles,   
trying to decide between two different pairs of earrings. She removed  
one pair and tried on another pair.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Haruka rolled her eyes and sighed, forcing herself to remain  
awake. She scratched an itch in her inner thigh.   
  
"How can you be so full of energy today? We went to sleep   
pretty late, you know."  
  
Michiru finished putting on her earrings and looked at herself  
in the mirror. She was gorgeous, as usual. She almost felt sorry for   
all the guys she would meet today. They would spend the rest of the day  
idly dreaming about her, for sure.  
  
"It's because you did the hard part."  
  
Haruka's eyes shot open. The conversation suddenly got very  
interesting.  
  
"The hard part? _You_ were the one taking all the punishment!"  
  
Michiru shook her head and got up, smoothing out the wrinkles   
on her dress.  
  
"Think about it, Haruka. You're the one who has to move around  
all the time. It's you who has to make sure things don't actually get  
painful. You have to handle everything once I'm... immobilized. All I  
have to do is lie there and look sexy."  
  
Haruka mulled the new information over in her mind. It made  
sense, in a twisted sort of way. Still, it wasn't enough. It didn't   
explain why Michiru was grinning like the cat that ate the canary, for  
one thing. Michiru was planning something, and she was going to find  
out what it was.   
  
"That's all?"  
  
Michiru stood up and walked over to the bed. She took a seat  
beside Haruka and whispered conspiratorially.  
  
"I'm giving Hotaru her talk today."  
  
Haruka frowned. What the heck was Michiru talking about?   
Michiru noticed her perplexed expression and smiled. She held Haruka  
close and whispered again.  
  
"You know, the one about how to wrap men around your finger and  
make them slaves to your will."  
  
Haruka's expression did not change.  
  
"I don't think my mother ever gave me that particular talk,  
Michiru."  
  
Michiru just smiled at her cryptically.  
  
"I know."  
  
Haruka thought about what Michiru had said, and concluded that  
it was one of those girl things that she would never understand.   
  
"Alright, whatever. I'm staying home today. I'm tired and I  
don't feel like going to school."  
  
Michiru stood up from the bed, smoothing out her clothes as  
she made her way out of the room.  
  
"Fine."  
  
Haruka watched her lover leave the room and closed her eyes.  
She was hoping to re-capture her dream, just so she could find out what  
Ranma had meant of course. She wasn't the least bit interested in   
becoming one with him, whatever _that_ meant.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, she gave up.  
  
She just wasn't going to fall back asleep. She thought about  
her problem for a few seconds, and decided to go have a glass of milk.  
She got up off the bed, put on her slippers, and slowly made her way  
downstairs.  
  
Haruka was just passing by Setsuna's door when she heard a   
moan. Another person might have confused the sound for something else,   
but Haruka had a lot of experience on feminine moaning under her belt.   
She knocked loudly on the door. Setsuna might have hurt herself in   
there.  
  
"Setsuna, it's Haruka! Are you okay in there?"  
  
She waited for a few seconds, getting no response. She pressed  
her ear against the door, listening for any sounds. She was just about  
to dismiss it as a product of her imagination when the door suddenly  
opened and an arm snaked out, grabbing her by her waist and pulling her  
into the room. A tiny squeal was all she managed to get out before the  
door closed.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma stared at Ms. Urd's back as he meekly followed behind   
her. There were so many questions he wanted to ask the silver-haired  
woman, but she would turn her head and look at him with those creepy  
eyes of hers whenever he even thought about actually doing it. There  
was something about her that unnerved him, and it wasn't the fact that  
he still felt that they had met somewhere before. They were just about  
to go out through the gates when they heard a shrill cry coming from  
the school.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ms. Urd, but I cannot allow you to take Mr. Saotome  
away from me!."  
  
Ranma groaned. There was only one person in Furinkan who still  
referred to him as 'Mr.' Saotome. Whatever it was that Ms. Hinako was  
up to, it was probably bad news for Ms. Urd. He looked at his companion  
and was surprised to find that she was regarding Ms. Hinako with a look  
of mild amusement. She had obviously never heard of the diminutive   
teacher's incredible powers.   
  
He tapped on her shoulder and she turned to give him that   
creepy smile again. He felt his mouth go dry under her gaze but he   
forced himself to talk anyway. Things could get ugly very quickly if  
the situation was not diffused.  
  
"Um... Ms. Urd, I don't think you should get her angry. Ms.   
Hinako is-"  
  
Ranma found himself cut off when Ms. Urd waved her hand   
dismissively towards his teacher.  
  
"I know all about Ms. Hinako's talents. Don't worry about me,   
Ranma. I can take care of myself. It was sweet of you to try warning  
me, though."  
  
Ms. Hinako was fuming. She had struck her most dramatic pose  
after shouting at Ms. Urd but the representative from the Ministry of  
Education was all but ignoring her. Ms. Hinako had never failed to  
turn a delinquent student around, and she would never forgive herself  
if Ranma would be her first failure. Ms. Urd would have succeeded too,  
if Hiroshi and Daisuke hadn't been able to warn her about what was   
happening in time. She was simply going to have to take drastic measures   
to keep him in Furinkan.  
  
She smirked as she tightened her grip on the coin in her hand.   
Ms. Urd wouldn't be ignoring her for much longer. She raised her right   
hand, the coin lodged between two of her fingers.  
  
"Happo Five-Yen Satsu!"   
  
Ranma dashed towards Ms. Urd in a desperate bid to try and save  
her from Ms. Hinako's attack. He was almost on top of her when she  
suddenly turned and pushed him away.   
  
He quickly got up from the bushes that Ms. Urd had shoved him   
into. It was amazing! He had barely seen her move and suddenly he was   
hurtling towards the side of the path they were standing on. He turned   
to the area where Ms. Urd had been standing, and was shocked to find   
that she hadn't made a move to avoid the attack herself. In fact, Ms.   
Hinako's deadly attack didn't seem to be working against her. Could   
she have known that the only way to escape the Happo Five-Yen Satsu was   
not to produce a battle aura? But she should have produced an aura when   
she shoved him off the path! What was going on?  
  
He turned to face Ms. Hinako, and noted that she had already  
changed into her adult form. Apparently, she _was_ leeching off Ms.   
Urd's battle aura. Ms. Urd didn't seem to be affected, though. She was  
just standing there, a smile plastered on her face. He couldn't say   
the same for Ms. Hinako, though. The newly adult educator's body was   
shaking like a leaf, and sweat was beading on her forehead. Certain  
primitive parts of Ranma's brain noted that Ms. Hinako's tight sweater   
was starting to become soaked in sweat and had wrapped itself even more  
tightly on her torso.  
  
He groaned again.  
  
*****  
  
Ms. Hinako Ninomiya did not understand what was going on. She  
had already absorbed more energy from Ms. Urd than she had taken from  
the entire school during her initial battle with Ranma. By all rights,  
Ms. Urd should be nothing more than a dried up husk by now.  
  
So why was she still standing there, seemingly unaffected?  
  
The most disconcerting fact to Ms. Hinako, however, was that  
she couldn't stop draining. She had been trying to sever the connection   
between her and Ms. Urd for some time, but something was preventing her  
from halting her attack. She had never absorbed so much energy without  
releasing it before, and she didn't know what was going to happen.   
  
She could feel the energy accumulating inside her. Her whole body  
felt bloated, as if she had eaten a whole cow and washed it down with a  
barrel of water. She fought to gain control of her attack, but the energy  
just kept pouring in. She was starting to lose the sensation in her limbs  
and her vision was slowly blurring up. It was getting harder and harder  
to think straight.  
  
An image of Soun Tendo's face appeared in her mind's eye. She   
prayed to Kami-sama that she would be able to see him again.  
  
Then the explosion came.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma immediately ran towards the spot where Ms. Hinako had   
been standing. Fortunately, all the students around her had run for  
cover when she started glowing bright yellow and were more or less  
unharmed. He started digging through the pile of debris that had once  
formed the front doors of Furinkan High, looking for Ms. Hinako's body.  
He threw away a slab of concrete that was more or less on top of where  
Ms. Hinako had been, and was shocked at what he saw.  
  
He stood there for a few seconds, gaping at the spectacle   
before him, until he heard Ms. Urd shouting at him.  
  
"What are you waiting for, Ranma? Pick her up!"  
  
Ranma snapped out of his trance and carefully lifted Ms. Hinako  
from the debris. He still couldn't believe what he was looking at. He  
looked at Ms. Urd, who didn't seem to be surprised at all.   
  
"What happened to her?"  
  
Ms. Urd grinned at Ranma before replying. "She bit off more   
than she could chew."  
  
Ranma's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Did she mean  
what he thought she meant? He had to know more. If she was using some  
secret martial arts technique he'd never heard of, she might want to  
teach it to him! She seemed to like him, after all.  
  
"I don't understand. Did you use some kind of secret martial arts  
technique?"  
  
Ms. Urd motioned for him to come closer, which he did. She  
immediately started talking, speaking so quickly that Ranma had to  
fight to keep up with her.  
  
"Ms. Hinako Ninomiya has a unique metabolism. Her body has the  
ability to absorb the energy from battle auras. I simply gave her more  
aura than her body could handle."  
  
Ranma looked at her incredulously. "That's impossible! Ms.  
Hinako's body can handle a lot more aura than any normal person can  
hold inside their body!"  
  
Ms. Urd shrugged. "I guess I'm not a normal person, then."  
  
Ranma glanced once more at the young girl in his arms.   
  
"But why is she like _this_?"  
  
Ms. Urd glanced at the girl he was holding. "Oh, you mean her  
age? The overload caused her body to revert to its original form. What  
you're looking at is Ms. Hinako's 'real' self."  
  
Ranma replied quickly. "But she can't be much older than _I_  
am!"  
  
Ms. Urd retrieved a small computer from her bag, and pressed  
a few buttons on it while looking at the small LCD screen.  
  
"She's nineteen years old, Ranma. I'll wait here while you  
drop her off at the clinic. We'll go to your house and talk to your  
parents afterwards."  
  
Ranma shook his head in wonder as he carried Ms. Hinako to the  
clinic. He wasn't buying Ms. Urd's lame excuse. She _had_ to have used  
a secret martial arts move to beat Ms. Hinako. Maybe a technique for  
boosting your battle aura to inhuman levels for short periods of time?  
He decided to ask Cologne about it later.  
  
*****  
  
Usagi was getting frustrated. Makoto, Minako, and Ami had all  
been completely unable to come up with a suitable plan for separating  
Ranma from his fiancees. Makoto's ideas were all too physical in nature  
while Minako's suggestions were simply too... lewd. Ami, for her part,  
didn't even seem to be trying. Lunch hour was almost over and all they   
had been able to accomplish was to consume all their food. She closed  
her eyes and listened to the tail-end of another one of Minako's silly  
ideas.  
  
"... so after I blast them with my love beams they'll fall  
madly in love with each other and stop pestering Ranma."  
  
Makoto shook her head and slammed her fist on the table,   
drawing everyone's attention to her. Passers-by noted that the action  
caused her breasts to bounce enticingly.  
  
"We can't do that, we'd be messing with the minds of those   
poor girls! We just want to get them to leave Ranma alone, not fry   
their brains. I still say we should beat them up until they agree to  
stop seeing him. At least _my_ idea would leave them with their own  
personalities intact."  
  
Usagi decided to interrupt them before things got out of hand.  
Minako and Makoto were both getting really agitated. The last thing she  
needed right now was a cat-fight breaking out between the two of her  
senshi.  
  
"No! We don't want to do anything bad to them! We won't hurt  
them in any way. We could set them up with other guys, for example.   
I could introduce them to Mamoru and Rei could set one of them up   
with Yuuichiro."  
  
Minako giggled. "Yeah right, like a girl would ever settle for  
anyone else after seeing Ranma."  
  
The three of them nodded slowly. Makoto then looked at Usagi   
and pointed an accusing finger at her.  
  
"Hey, isn't Mamoru your boyfriend? Why are you giving him away  
all of a sudden? Whatever happened to Mamo-_chan_?"  
  
Usagi frowned and tried to ignore the stares she was getting  
from Minako and Makoto. She didn't want to tell them about why she was  
late to school that morning. She had called Mamoru to break up with   
him but he beat her to the punch, breaking up with her as soon as he  
found out that who it was on the phone. Apparently he had to sort out  
some weird dreams he had been having lately. She was still thinking of  
a way to dodge the question when Ami suddenly spoke up.  
  
"I think I have a solution."  
  
They all turned to look at the blue-haired girl who had been  
quietly ignoring them since lunch had started. Makoto waited all of two  
seconds before growling in frustration.  
  
"Don't keep us in suspense! What are you planning?"  
  
Ami looked around to make sure that everyone's attention was on   
her, then began.  
  
"I was thinking about what Makoto said, you see. Actually, when  
you think about it, what she's saying is true. We don't have to injure  
Ranma's current fiancees seriously to get them to-"  
  
Usagi immediately interrupted her.  
  
"I don't want to hurt anyone, Ami-chan. These are teenage girls   
we're talking about!"  
  
Ami shook her head as she continued.   
  
"That's not what I meant, Usagi. The thing is, we can take  
Makoto's statement to the next level. We don't have to hurt them at  
all! We just have to go down to Nerima in our senshi forms and give  
them a little scare."  
  
Ami, Makoto, and Usagi nodded their heads slowly as they   
considered Ami's suggestion. Usagi turned to Ami and asked a question.  
  
"What if they decide to fight back?"  
  
Ami grinned at her. "They won't fight back because they'll know  
it's useless. I've looked them up on my computer and found that Ukyo   
Kuonji is just an okonomiyaki cook while Shampoo works as a waitress at  
a place called the 'Nekohanten' as a waitress. Kodachi Kuno is the   
captain of Saint Hebereke's gymnastics club.* How strong could they   
possibly be?"  
  
Usagi carefully thought about the suggestion. She wasn't sure  
she was entirely comfortable with the idea of threatening the girls,  
but she couldn't think of any better ideas. Besides, Ami was right.   
They were just normal teenage girls, surely they wouldn't even dream  
of going against the Sailor Senshi. She smiled, her decision made.  
  
"Okay, Ami-chan, we'll do it!"  
  
*****  
  
"No, absolutely not! Ranma will go to school at Furinkan High  
with his fiancee! I will not allow him to go and study at another  
district while Akane goes to school here, and that's final!"  
  
Genma crossed his arms in front of him and looked away, the  
argument over in his mind. Urd just smiled. She had expected as much  
from Ranma's father. The man was stubborn, if nothing else. She had  
come prepared, however. She flashed him a gorgeous smile and began   
her rehearsed speech.  
  
"Mr. Saotome, I am shocked that you would say such a thing!   
We are talking about Ranma's future here! If he continues to study at  
Furinkan and his grades remain as they are he'll _never_ get into a  
good college!"  
  
Genma smirked at the woman. She didn't know anything. He  
decided to spell things out so that she'd understand the situation.  
  
"Ms. Urd, Ranma doesn't need to go to college. He'll marry  
Akane right after graduating from high school. After that, he'll   
inherit the dojo and make a living teaching martial arts."  
  
Urd inwardly rejoiced. Genma was acting exactly as she  
predicted he would. She gave him the 'disappointed' look that she  
had practiced beforehand while continuing her speech.  
  
"Well, if that's what you want there's nothing I can do,  
Mr. Saotome. It's such a shame too... he could have turned out to  
be one of the most brilliant minds in Japan."  
  
Genma grinned. "Real men like Ranma don't need to have  
brilliant minds."  
  
Urd continued as if she hadn't heard.  
  
"I mean, he just might have what it takes to discover the cure  
baldness, or even AIDS."  
  
Genma laughed openly at the woman's suggestion. Ranma, discover  
the cure for AIDS? The very idea was ridiculous! He was just about to  
tell Ms. Urd to leave when his brain caught up to an important part of  
what she had said.  
  
"Um... would you say that again, Ms. Urd?"  
  
Urd smiled at him. Men were so easy to manipulate. "I'm sorry,  
Mr. Saotome. I was just thinking that Ranma's mind has great potential,  
that's all. I guess we'll never know, huh? I'll be leaving now. Sorry  
to have bothered you."  
  
Genma grabbed Urd's arm before she could get up, however.  
  
"No, please stay! What was that you were saying about a cure  
for baldness?"  
  
Urd sat back down and feigned disinterest. "Well, it's   
certainly not impossible. Ranma scored extremely high on his IQ tests,  
so he might just be the man for the job. However, if he doesn't go to  
college, I doubt that he'll ever acquire the skills necessary to get  
it done."  
  
Genma's mouth gaped open as he realized what a fool he had  
been. Ranma was his son, so naturally the boy was gifted with increased  
intelligence. With a college education, doing something as simple as  
finding a cure for baldness would be a piece of cake for him! And to  
think that he had almost crushed his last chance at ever growing back  
his hair! Genma slammed his fist onto the table in front of them and  
shouted with conviction.  
  
"Ranma will be leaving with you as soon as possible, Ms. Urd!  
You shall have my full cooperation on this. We are talking about my  
boy's future, after all."  
  
Outside the door, Kasumi had to restrain Soun from barging in  
and giving Ms. Urd a piece of his mind. She touched a pressure point on  
the nape of his neck and he fell into her arms, unconscious. She hummed  
happily as she carried him to his room and laid him onto his futon. The   
skills she had acquired from reading those medical books she was always   
borrowing from Doctor Tofu sure came in handy today. It would have been  
a shame if Ranma lost his best chance at an education because of her   
father.  
  
"Thank you for your support, Mr. Saotome. I'll be sure to take  
good care of Ranma!"  
  
Urd got up and straightened out her blouse. Her plans were   
slowly coming to fruition! Soon Ranma would be with the perfect woman  
for him and it would all be thanks to her. Urd was startled out of her  
thoughts when she felt someone tapping on her shoulder. She turned and  
was a bit surprised when she found that it was Mrs. Saotome. The woman  
had sat quietly behind and to the left of Mr. Saotome the whole time  
they were talking. She smiled as she turned to Ranma's mother.  
  
"Yes, did you want to ask me anything, Mrs. Saotome?"  
  
Nodoka decided to get straight to the point. This strange woman  
was too good with words, and an extended conversation with her might  
prove to be very dangerous. She locked eyes with Ms. Urd as she spoke.  
  
"Exactly where are you going to take my son, Ms. Urd?"  
  
Urd relaxed. Apparently she just wanted to ask about the  
specifics of Ranma's transfer.  
  
"Ranma will be studying at Juuban, Mrs. Saotome."  
  
Nodoka frowned. "Isn't that a bit too far? How will Ranma be  
able to get home everyday?"  
  
Urd smiled at her.   
  
"Ranma will be living there, actually. All of the arrangements   
have already been made so you don't need to worry about a thing. He'll  
come home during weekends so you can spend time together."  
  
Nodoka's face took on a worried look. "But Ranma will be all  
alone over there...."  
  
Urd stared at her. "Well, I can pick him up and take him to  
school everyday if you want. I just thought that Ranma was enough of  
a man to be able to live away from his mother a few days a week, that's  
all. I'll come by early everyday, okay?"  
  
Nodoka's expression shifted from worried to confused to angry  
in the span of two seconds. She tightened her grip on the family sword  
that she still carried with her and spoke with conviction.  
  
"Of course Ranma's man enough to live on his own! He's a man  
among men! I was just being an overprotective mother, that's all. Ranma  
will have no problems living away from me!"  
  
Urd raised her eyebrows. "Well, if you're sure he can handle  
it like a real man would...."  
  
Nodoka's eyes gleamed with pride.  
  
"Ranma is man enough to do _anything_! He can live wherever you  
want him to with no problems. I'm sure of it."  
  
Urd smiled again as she made her way outside, where Ranma was  
waiting. This was a piece of cake.  
  
*****  
  
"Don't worry, Akane. Everything will be alright."  
  
Nabiki tried to console the sobbing girl in her arms as she   
wondered how the news of Ranma's departure could hit Akane so hard.  
  
"But he's leaving Japan with some foreigner and Ms. Hinako and  
they're going to live it up on some tropical island!"  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes when she realized why Akane was making   
such a big deal out of it. "Who told you that?"  
  
Akane continued to sob. "Yuka and Sayuri told me!"  
  
Nabiki pulled her handkerchief out of her pocket and used it to   
dab at Akane's eyes.  
  
"Stop crying, Akane. Ranma's transferring to another district,   
not moving to a tropical island. A representative from the Ministry of   
Education came here this morning and talked to the principal about it.   
He's just going to go to a different school, that's all."  
  
Akane quickly dried her eyes. "Are you sure?"  
  
Nabiki grinned at her. "Of course I'm sure! Don't worry about  
it. I saw the way he was looking at you this morning. Unless you had a   
huge fight with him on the way to school today, there's nothing for you   
to get worried about!"  
  
Nabiki groaned when Akane broke into tears once more.  
  
*****  
  
* she looked up the school records for Ukyo and Kodachi, then she found  
the magazine article from the manga (volume 29) for information on   
Shampoo.   
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
I would like to thank Chester, Vex, Thermopyle, Egan Mandrake,   
MicelKomphasouk, Seaver, and Helmut Steeg for all of the help they gave   
me on this chapter.   
  
I would just like to say that the beginning of this chapter  
came to me unexpectedly, and I found myself unable to continue writing  
the fic until I had incorporated the idea into it. I hope you liked  
it anyway.   
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	12. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: The characters featured within this story are not mine. In  
fact, most of them belong to people who don't necessarily approve of my  
using them here. Tough luck for them, I say. At least I don't make any  
money from this, ne?  
  
Warning: Do not microwave.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 10  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
"Konatsu? Ko-chan, are you home?"  
  
Sayuri circled the Ucchan's, looking for a trace of either  
Ukyo or Konatsu. She had tried contacting him by phone more than once  
since last night, but no one had answered her calls. When Ukyo didn't   
show up for school, she decided to come over and see what was wrong.   
  
Her search brought no results, however, as all the doors were   
locked and the windows were shut tight. She went to the front door and   
knocked. She was a bit surprised when the door abruptly opened and   
Konatsu stepped out. He was wearing a red kimono with a floral design   
on the side. It made him look even more feminine than usual.  
  
"Ko-chan, what did I tell you about cross-dressing?" she asked.  
  
Konatsu stared at her for a few seconds, seemingly confused by  
her question. A scowl formed on his face.   
  
"That it's not becoming of a real man?"  
  
Sayuri's jaw fell open in shock. Surely he couldn't have   
forgotten already! Oh well, his clueless nature was one of the things  
that made him so adorable anyway. She smiled brightly at him.  
  
"No, you silly, I love it when you cross-dress! You look soooo   
cute in that kimono! Is it yours, or did you borrow it from Ukyo?"  
  
Konatsu laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head.  
  
"Oh, of course! I can'tbelieve I forgot, silly me. This kimono  
is mine, actually."  
  
Sayuri moved to enter the restaurant, and was surprised when  
Konatsu blocked her from walking further. She looked up at him, eyes  
wide open.  
  
"What's wrong, Ko-chan? Aren't you going to let me in?"  
  
Konatsu gently pushed her away from the restaurant, closed the  
door behind him, and stepped towards her.  
  
"I'm sorry, but you can't go inside!"  
  
Sayuri frowned. This was certainly unexpected. "Why not,   
Ko-chan?"  
  
Konatsu laughed nervously as he replied, "Mistress Ukyo is...   
um... that is... she's sick! That's right, she's really sick!"  
  
Sayuri's face took on a look of concern. "What? I'd better go   
visit her, then. Let me in!"  
  
Konatsu pushed her backwards again. "No! It's um... it's really  
contagious! You shouldn't even be staying this close to the restaurant!  
You'd better get back to school before you catch it."  
  
Sayuri locked eyes with him as she spoke, "But _you're_ with  
her!"  
  
Konatsu continued pushing her away. "I've got a natural   
immunity to it. I got it as a child and I can't get it anymore. You  
should really get going. Bye!"  
  
Sayuri watched her boyfriend run back towards the restaurant  
and go inside. A loud click told her that the door was once again being   
locked. She shook her head as she made her way back to school. Konatsu  
sure was behaving strangely today.  
  
*****  
  
Konatsu leaned against the door as he locked it, thankful that  
the girl had finally left. That had been close! He breathed deeply for  
a few seconds, closing his eyes as he did so.   
  
Slowly, his body began glowing with a pale yellow light. The   
light quickly grew in intensity until it was too bright for a normal   
human to look straight into. The light gradually dissipated, revealing   
a young girl with short, purple hair, wearing red high-heeled leather   
boots and a matching skin-tight leather outfit. On her back were two  
large bat wings. Another pair, much smaller than the other, could be  
seen growing from behind her head.  
  
She smiled broadly and made her way upstairs to one of the   
bedrooms, where the real Konatsu lay bound and gagged on the bed. The   
male kunoichi was still unconscious.   
  
A woman with blue-green hair was standing over him, watching as   
he slept. The woman had wings not unlike her own protruding from behind   
her head and back. They were attired similarly as well.  
  
The woman turned to look at her, and she heard a voice speak to   
her from inside her mind.  
  
'Is she gone?'  
  
The young girl walked towards the bed and used her own   
telepathic powers to project her thoughts towards the woman.  
  
'Yes, I sent her back to school. She won't be bothering us  
anymore. Why is the ninja still unconscious?'  
  
The woman grinned, amusement plainly showing on her beautiful  
features.   
  
'I gave him a few dreams. They should keep him occupied for  
a while. You have done well, Lilith. Soon, we will have what we came  
for.'  
  
Lilith walked towards the older woman and hugged her tightly,   
pressing her young body against the woman's more voluptuous one. She  
was happy that she had pleased her sister.  
  
'Thank you, Mistress Morrigan.'  
  
Morrigan wrapped her arms around Lilith. Her face broke into a  
smile as she stroked the young girl's purple hair.  
  
'You don't have to be so formal with me. We are sisters, after   
all.'  
  
Lilith smiled at Morrigan, the wings behind her head flapping  
quickly as evidence of her happiness. She raised the wings behind her  
and wrapped them around the older succubus as well.  
  
'Thank you, Onee-chan.'  
  
*****  
  
"So, are you going to tell me who Athan is?"  
  
Haruka stared at the ceiling while waiting for Setsuna to  
answer her question.   
  
The two of them were lying on opposite ends of the bed. Setsuna  
had raised the sheets to her chest in an effort to cover up her naked  
body. Haruka giggled at the older woman's embarrassment. It was hard to  
believe that this was the same woman who had forced her to perform   
unspeakable acts just a few minutes ago.   
  
Setsuna ignored Haruka and tried to concentrate on finding out   
where her underwear had disappeared to. The last thing she wanted to do   
right now was to show her body to Haruka once again. For an unwilling   
victim, she had turned out to be quite an enthusiastic participant.   
  
"He is nobody."  
  
Haruka rolled her eyes. In her own opinion, she had been more   
than patient with the guardian of time, even going so far as to play   
Setsuna's little games without asking why. She felt that she deserved a  
better answer than that.   
  
Besides, if she kept nagging Setsuna long enough, the older   
woman might tire of talking and decide to engage in more exciting  
activities instead.  
  
She stretched her arms and yawned, feigning disinterest.   
Setsuna blushed when she caught herself staring at the blondes naked,  
tone body. She wondered if Ranma preferred muscular women like Haruka.  
She certainly hoped not.  
  
"For a non-existent person, you sure were screaming his name   
pretty loud."  
  
Setsuna cursed herself as she caught herself comparing her   
thighs to Haruka's and frowned. Her plan had gone horribly wrong. What  
should have distracted her mind from Athan had actually made her miss  
his touch even more.   
  
She decided to play it cool. This situation might still be   
salvageable.  
  
"Stop asking about Athan. He is of no concern to you."  
  
Haruka smiled at Setsuna. She had never seen Setsuna get this  
worked up about anything. If her hunch was right, she may have found the  
chink in the older woman's cool and emotionless armor.   
  
"An old boyfriend, huh?"  
  
Setsuna's heart skipped a beat at Haruka's question. Her grip   
on the sheets came loose, revealing her body to Haruka once more. A big   
smile appeared on the young blonde's pretty face. Setsuna quickly   
grabbed hold of the sheets and covered herself with them once more.   
  
"Of course not! How did you find out?"  
  
An awkward silence filled the room as the two women gazed at  
one another. Setsuna's features remained calm even as she mentally   
kicked herself on her shapely behind. A large sweat drop appeared over   
Setsuna's head. Haruka cleared her throat loudly.  
  
"I just know about these things, that's all. It's a gift."  
  
Setsuna stared at Haruka incredulously. The naked young blonde   
withstood her glare with surprisingly little effort. She decided never  
to put herself in such a compromising position with another woman again  
--except maybe if the woman was a cute redhead who wore her hair in   
pigtails, and even then only with the lights turned off.  
  
*****  
  
"Achoo!"  
  
Umi and Fuu stopped looking through the dresses in the store   
and stared at Hikaru. That sneeze had certainly come from out of the   
blue.  
  
"Are you alright, Hikaru? Are you coming down with a cold or  
something?"  
  
Hikaru crinkled her nose and sniffed around a bit. She shrugged  
and concluded that she must have inhaled a dust particle or something.  
  
"I'm fine, Fuu. Don't worry about me."  
  
Hikaru's two friends nodded their heads and continued shopping.  
  
*****  
  
Setsuna managed to stop herself just as her thoughts were   
about to stray towards Athan once more. It was beginning to become  
difficult to concentrate on anything else. She looked at Haruka, who   
was still naked. The younger woman's presumptuousness was starting   
to irritate her.  
  
"What would _you_ know about relationships with men?"  
  
Haruka grinned. "Not much, really, but I know a lot more than   
you do!"  
  
Setsuna laughed out loud, then stopped when she realized that  
the action was making her breasts bounce around too much.   
  
"Don't be silly. I have over a thousand years of experience  
over you."  
  
Haruka raised her eyebrows. "Experience doing what? Hanging  
around peeking at people through the Time Gate?"  
  
Setsuna remained silent.  
  
Haruka slid closer to Setsuna, causing the older woman to   
shudder at their close proximity to each other. She wished she'd had  
the presence of mind to keep her clothes close by.  
  
"I can help you, you know. I have a lot of experience dealing  
with men. I know how their minds work. Just tell me what the deal is  
with this Athan guy and I'll tell you what I think you should do. What  
have you got to lose?"  
  
Setsuna considered Haruka's offer. She had hoped to hide the  
whole situation about Athan from Uranus and Neptune. However, Haruka  
had solved half the riddle already. Besides, she really _did_ have  
nothing left to lose at this point. The Time Gates were all but useless  
in their current state, and she was already starting to lose control of  
herself. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and began her tale.  
  
"Let me tell you about the grand ball that Queen Serenity held  
in honor of Princess Serenity's birthday...."  
  
*****  
  
"I'm not going to dance with you and that's that. What part of  
'no' don't you understand?"  
  
Prince Endymion gave Athan one of his princely smiles as he  
roughly grabbed the redhead's arm and held him close.  
  
"Stop being so coy, Lady Athan. You and I both know that you   
are madly in love with me. Let us dance the night away in an orgy of  
rhythmic movement!"  
  
Athan pulled away from Prince Endymion and ran towards Princess  
Serenity, who was only too happy to have him back. She managed to pull  
him behind her just as Endymion got to them.  
  
"Princess, I would like to have a word with lady Athan for a  
few moments."  
  
Princess Serenity frowned at the handsome young man and stood  
between him and Athan. She frowned when she noticed him gawking at her  
cleavage. This dress was for Athan's benefit, not his.  
  
"I am terribly sorry, Prince Digimon, but I must insist that  
Lady Athan remain by my side at all times tonight."  
  
Prince Endymion sighed. "Whatever for, your highness? Oh, and  
it's Prince _Endymion_."  
  
The princess quickly thought of a plausible excuse. Years of  
practice in handling persistent suitors had trained her well.  
  
"Well, because it is a custom here on the moon that on the  
princess' birthday, members of royalty must only dance with people of  
the same sex."  
  
Prince Endymion thought for a moment, then spoke again. "Who  
shall _I_ dance with, then?"  
  
Princess Serenity looked around the room for a man. She frowned  
when she realized that almost everyone in the room was female. Then, a  
grin formed on her face ashen spied a familiar face near the buffet   
table.  
  
"Artemis, come here at once!"  
  
*****  
  
Artemis was busy getting better acquainted with Sailor Venus'  
rather pretty young handmaid when he heard the princess call for him.  
What could she possibly want now? Couldn't she see that he was busy  
fostering better relations among the castle's residents?  
  
He turned to look at her, and found that she was busy talking  
to the silly young prince from Earth. How he hated that man. Not only  
was he a complete idiot, he also possessed looks that served to distract  
all the pretty girls from the other things they should be doing.  
  
Things like himself, for example.  
  
He sighed and made his way slowly towards the duo. As he got  
closer, he noticed that Athan was with them, albeit clinging to the  
princess' blouse like a child holding onto his mother. He smirked as  
he remembered that Athan had once been his greatest competition in the  
castle. The situation had not really changed, but it was so much easier   
to ignore Athan's propensity for attracting beautiful women to him now  
that he was a beautiful woman too.  
  
He stopped smirking once he got within five feet of them. He  
wasn't exactly a favorite of the Queen and he knew that Setsuna would  
show him no mercy if he was to be charged with disrespecting a member  
of the royal household. He bowed when he finally arrived at her side.  
  
"I am at your service, your highness. What is it that you want  
of me?"  
  
*****  
  
Princess Serenity bade Artemis to stand up with a wave of her  
hand. She didn't particularly like the man. He was always trying to win  
the love of one or another of her handmaidens. Tonight, however, she   
was thankful that he was working in the castle.  
  
"Artemis, you shall be Prince Dominion's dance partner for the  
rest of the evening."  
  
Artemis winced as he heard the order. While it was normal in  
the castle for women to dance with each other because of a severe lack   
of men in these functions, it was unheard of for a man to dance with   
another of his own gender. He found it kind of sexist, actually, not   
that he had ever felt the desire to hold another man close and sway  
from side to side to slow music. He looked at Prince Endymion, who did  
not look too pleased with how things were going, either. He looked at  
Athan, who was grinning like the cat that ate the canary.   
  
He groaned. "Of course, your highness."  
  
Princess Serenity smiled as she watched the two men depart. She  
held her hand out to Athan and curtsied.  
  
"May I have this dance, fair lady?"  
  
Athan rolled his eyes, but decided to play along. The princess  
_had_ just saved him from a fate worse than death, after all. He took  
her hand in his own and led her to the middle of the dance floor.  
  
"Of course, my lady. And every dance afterwards as well."  
  
The princess blushed as he held her tight against himself. They  
swayed slowly to the music, him leading and her following. It was such  
a refreshing break from her everyday life, where she was always the one  
who had to make decisions and everyone else just deferred to her.   
  
She giggled, something that she didn't usually do in public.  
The princess was expected to act serious and proper, like her mother.  
For now, however, she felt that she could get away with acting like  
the young girl that she was. It felt... liberating, to say the least.  
She vowed right then and there that if she was ever given a chance at  
a normal life, she would spend most of it giggling.  
  
"Is something wrong, your highness? You haven't said a word  
since we started."  
  
Princess Serenity looked into the concerned eyes of Athan. It  
was not hard to imagine that the beautiful young woman holding her had   
once been a handsome young man.   
  
"I'm fine, Athan. Just hold me."  
  
A smile formed on Princess Serenity's face as they danced. She  
could get used to this.  
  
*****  
  
"Look at them, your highness! It's disgraceful! They should   
cease this embarrassing display at once!"  
  
Queen Serenity sat quietly as Setsuna raved and ranted about  
how it just wasn't right for the princess to fall all over herself for  
the chance to dance with a single person. The fact that the person was  
not only a convicted criminal but also a female at the moment only  
served to make it even worse. She sat demurely on her throne as the  
guardian of time droned on about how it was ruining the reputation of  
the royal household.  
  
"Setsuna, who is your escort for the night?"  
  
Setsuna stopped ranting and stared at Queen Serenity with wide   
eyes. The princess was making a laughingstock of herself and that was   
all she had to say? This was an emergency! It was certainly not the time   
to discuss her love life, or lack of one. Regardless, she had no choice   
but to answer honestly.  
  
"I have no escort, your highness."  
  
The Queen remained silent for a few moments, looking at the  
dance floor where Princess Serenity was currently dancing with Athan.  
Setsuna was just about to open her mouth again when the Queen suddenly  
interrupted her.  
  
"I agree entirely with you, Setsuna. Neither my daughter nor   
the senshi should be engaging in this behavior with Athan."  
  
Setsuna's mouth fell open. Up until this moment, the queen had  
always appeared to favor the young upstart from Earth. Finally, she had  
a chance to get back at the little pervert for all the times he had   
humiliated her!  
  
"In that case, your highness, I volunteer to take care of the  
situation myself."  
  
Queen Serenity considered her offer for a few moments, then  
slowly nodded. Setsuna resisted the urge to jump up and down with glee  
while singing praises to the heavens. Her mind immediately set to work  
figuring out how fast she could have a snake pit built and how much it  
would cost.  
  
"Bring Athan to me."  
  
Setsuna blinked twice before realizing that the queen was   
indeed talking to her. She quickly walked towards the dancing duo and  
tapped her staff lightly on the floor. The princess stopped dancing  
and confidently turned to face her. Athan did the same, albeit with a  
little less confidence. She smirked at him.  
  
"Her Majesty the Queen calls upon Athan."  
  
She then grabbed Athan by the arm and dragged him towards the  
throne before the princess could utter a word. She smiled triumphantly  
as she presented him before the queen.  
  
"Here he is, your highness. I recommend that you show him no  
mercy."  
  
Queen Serenity looked at Athan appraisingly from her throne.  
A blush formed on the former guard's cheeks under her close scrutiny.  
She smiled at him.  
  
"Was that my daughter you were just dancing with?"  
  
Athan frowned. Surely she had seen the two of them dancing. It  
wasn't like he and the princess were trying to hide it.  
  
"Er... yes, your highness. But-"  
  
"You were dancing with Sailor Venus before that, correct?"  
  
Athan looked up at the queen, whose face remained impassive as  
she grilled him.  
  
"That is correct, your highness. But-"  
  
"You are seated at Sailor Jupiter, Mercury, and Mars' table,  
are you not?"  
  
Setsuna stared at Queen Serenity. What was all this leading to?  
Thing were not going as she had envisioned them. She had assumed that  
the queen would simply inform Athan of his offence and hand him over to  
her for punishing. Why was she asking all these stupid questions?  
  
Athan gulped. He was really starting to get nervous.   
  
"That's true, but I don't-"  
  
"You have also been chatting with Sailor Uranus and Sailor  
Neptune during the course of the evening."  
  
"Of course I have, but isn't that what you're supposed to do in  
these-"  
  
"You spent last night in Sailor Saturn's room, too."  
  
Athan blushed bright red when he saw the way Setsuna was  
looking at him.  
  
"It's not like that! She was treating some burns I got from  
Sailor Mars!"  
  
Athan glanced at Setsuna and found that she was still glaring   
daggers at him. The queen, however, was actually smiling. It was that  
smile again, the one that always sent shivers up his spine. What could  
she be up to this time?  
  
Queen Serenity spoke calmly. "Needless to say, you cannot go on  
acting in this manner."  
  
Setsuna smiled. This was it, Athan was finally going to get  
what was coming to him! She would have the last laugh after all.  
  
"As of this moment, I am assigning you to be Setsuna's escort  
at all official functions until further notice."  
  
The entire room fell silent when the guests heard the loud  
clang of the Time Staff hitting the floor as it fell from Setsuna's  
grasp. She hurriedly got down on her knees and picked it up. After  
doing so, she stood back up with all the poise of a seal running on  
land and turned back towards Queen Serenity.  
  
"Your highness, surely you must be joking! I have no desire  
whatsoever to have Athan as an escort. He's not even a man right now!"  
  
Queen Serenity smiled at the Time Guardian. "I am afraid you  
have no say in this, Setsuna. You see, I find it appalling that all of  
the other senshi are enjoying his company while you only ever get to  
see him on your semi-regular bathroom get-togethers."  
  
Setsuna's mouth fell open in shock. The Queen continued smiling  
at her.  
  
"I can see that you have been rendered speechless with joy. I  
shall retire to my quarters now. You two, on the other hand, are not  
allowed to leave the party or each other until the last guest has left.  
Have fun!"  
  
Athan and Setsuna could do nothing but stare as they watched  
the Queen get up and leave the room. They both remained silent and  
motionless for a full minute after she had gone.   
  
After regaining his senses, Athan turned to the stunned Senshi  
of Pluto and grinned sheepishly.  
  
"So, do you wanna dance?"  
  
*****  
  
"Why don't I remember any of this?"  
  
Haruka was not sure she liked what she had just heard. If what   
Setsuna said was true, then she might have some residual traces of  
heterosexuality in her. If she did, then perhaps her feelings for Ranma  
were founded on something deeper than mere admiration.  
  
"Because up until a few days ago, Athan didn't exist."  
  
Setsuna locked eyes with Haruka and smiled. It was during these  
times when she knew that whoever she was talking to was completely and  
utterly baffled by what she just said that she felt her best. There was  
just something about annoying other people with cryptic messages that  
made her feel that all was right with the world.   
  
She was, after all, the guardian of time. It was only natural   
for her to know more than other people did.   
  
"You see, it all started last week when I checked on the state  
of the timelines...."  
  
*****  
  
"So you're going away? Just like that? After everything we've  
been through, you're just going to leave me here?"  
  
Akane's eyes misted over with tears and her lips trembled. She  
turned her head slightly to the right and looked into the distance.  
  
"I'm sorry to hear that, Ran-"  
  
"You're not sorry, Akane. You're disappointed! Do it again from  
the start."  
  
Akane pouted and crossed her arms in front of her. Nabiki was  
being such a nitpicker today. If she didn't need her older sister's   
help so badly, she would have left already. She couldn't believe she  
was actually skipping her afternoon classes for this.  
  
"What difference does it make, Nabiki? Don't they mean the   
same thing?"  
  
Nabiki sighed. Akane just wasn't cooperating with her. How was  
she ever going to get Akane back together with Ranma if her sister  
couldn't even recite a script properly? What was so hard about saying  
a couple of lines anyway? She motioned for Akane to come closer and   
stand in front of her.  
  
"Do you love Ranma, Akane?"  
  
Akane blushed as she stuttered. "I... I'm not sure. I think I  
do... that is... I might-"  
  
Nabiki silenced Akane with a wave of her hand.  
  
"Are you saying that you're paying me to get your relationship  
with Ranma back on track because you feel that there's a possibility  
that you might love him?"  
  
Akane frowned. Nabiki was making it sound so... silly. Why did  
she have to go out and say it anyway? What good would it do?   
  
Nabiki looked at her younger sister as Akane shifted her weight  
from one foot to another. She shook her head and rose from her seat.  
  
"This is hopeless. If you're not even sure whether you love him  
or not, you'll never get anywhere! The deal's off."  
  
Akane watched as her older sister got up and made her way out   
of the empty classroom they had been practicing in. Nabiki had already  
opened the door halfway when Akane slammed her fist on the desk beside  
her, breaking to pieces. Nabiki turned back towards her and smiled.  
  
"Something wrong, Akane?"  
  
Akane breathed deeply, counting from one to ten to calm her  
nerves. She couldn't believe her sister was making her go through with  
this. She turned away and cleared her throat.  
  
"I love him."  
  
Nabiki closed the door and walked back towards Akane. "Who do  
you love?"  
  
Akane scowled at Nabiki as she replied. "Ranma."  
  
Nabiki sat down on a chair and looked at Akane. "Do you want  
him to love you, too?"  
  
Akane turned away and nodded. Nabiki sighed, exasperated. "Then   
why don't you follow my directions? You saw for yourself how effective   
my methods are. All you have to do is act like I tell you until you're   
married and you've got him. Ranma's sense of honor would never allow   
him to get a divorce!"  
  
Akane turned back towards Nabiki, blinking back the tears that  
were forming in her eyes.  
  
"Because I want him to love me for me! What we're doing, it's  
like we're tricking him into loving me. It's disgusting! I don't want   
to do it anymore. I... I'm leaving!"  
  
Nabiki shook her head as she watched Akane run out of   
the room. This was bad. If Akane wouldn't cooperate with her, then all  
her chances of keeping Ranma in Furinkan were lost. Without him to fuel  
the betting pools, she would have to work twice as hard to make the   
same amount of money.   
  
She would have to talk to Akane later and trick the girl into   
doing as she wanted. It was for her own good, anyway. It wasn't like   
her marriage prospects were particularly bright without Ranma. Other   
guys simply wouldn't be able to survive her.  
  
Nabiki slowly made her way out of the room, careful not to step  
on any bits of the wooden chair Akane had destroyed.  
  
*****  
  
"Where am I?"  
  
Ranma looked around the forest he was in, searching for a path  
he could take. He didn't know where he was, and certainly couldn't   
remember how he got there. Judging from the light filtering through the  
leaves high above him, it was nearing nightfall.   
  
The trees in the forest were very large, and the ground was  
covered with their fallen leaves. From where he was standing, the   
forest seemed to extend endlessly in all directions.   
  
He jumped up onto the branches of one of the larger trees and  
pushed himself up through the leaves to get a better view, hoping to  
find a way out. Finding none, he decided to just spend the night in the   
forest and figure out how to leave next morning. He found himself a   
large branch and was just about to settle down on it when he heard the   
sound of someone crying.  
  
"Hello! Who's there?"  
  
Ranma shouted as loud as he could, causing his voice to echo  
around the large forest. Not a soul answered his cries, however, and  
he found himself getting worried. What if it was a wandering mime   
who had sprained his ankle and was now helplessly crying over the  
misfortune that had befallen him?  
  
Ranma started running in the general direction that the sound  
was coming from. The sound became louder and clearer as he ran through  
the forest. After a while, it became clear enough that he could tell  
that it was a young girl weeping. Finally, after a few more seconds, he  
found her.  
  
"Ranma-kun, why do you hate me?"  
  
Ranma stopped and stared at the young girl standing in front of  
him, tears in her eyes. She was wearing a bright red Chinese shirt with  
a pair of black pants. Her bright red hair was tied behind her head in  
a pigtail. He stepped backward, unable to believe his eyes.  
  
"You! How... are you for real?"  
  
The girl continued to sob, hot tears falling from her eyes in  
twin rivers. She raised her head to look up at him and gave him a look  
of utter sadness.  
  
"Ranma-kun, why do you hate me?"  
  
Ranma continued moving slowly away from her. She looked exactly  
like him in his cursed form!  
  
"Aren't I pretty enough for you, Ranma-kun?"  
  
Ranma continued backwards, but stopped when he felt a familiar  
pair of arms snake around his body and locking him into a warm, tight  
embrace. The warmth radiating from the arms circling him seemed to calm  
him down, seemingly bringing him to a stupor.  
  
"Why do you hate her, Ranma-kun?"  
  
The words jolted Ranma awake. He immediately turned around to  
see who had spoken. What he saw left him speechless.  
  
"Ka... Kasumi? What are you doing here?"  
  
Kasumi just smiled at him. She was wearing her old housedress,  
making her look terribly out of place in the forest they were in.  
  
"You made her cry, Ranma-kun. That wasn't a very nice thing to  
do."  
  
Ranma did not understand what she was saying. Kasumi seemed...  
different somehow. It was all so strange.  
  
"What are you talking about, Kasumi?"  
  
Kasumi shook her head and pointed behind him. Ranma turned  
around and found that his twin was crying again. She was curled up  
under one of the trees and sobbing softly.  
  
"You need to kiss her, Ranma-kun. Kiss her and make it all  
better, Ranma-kun."  
  
Ranma immediately recoiled from her. "I can't do that! Look  
at her, she's me!"  
  
Kasumi continued smiling at him. "Do you hate yourself,  
Ranma-kun?"  
  
Ranma frowned at her. "Of course not! Why would I hate myself?"  
  
Kasumi took his hand and slowly led him towards his crying   
double. She stopped beside her and turned to him.  
  
"Then tell her, Ranma-kun."  
  
Ranma nodded his head and kneeled so that he was at eye-level  
with... himself. He gently tapped on her shoulder. She looked up at him  
and rubbed her eyes. She was so much smaller than him. She looked so  
fragile. He cleared his throat and smiled at her.  
  
"Um... hi."  
  
She tilted her head and blinked at him.   
  
"Hello."  
  
Ranma breathed in deeply. He wasn't really used to this sort  
of thing. "Listen, um... I really don't hate you or nuthin' so   
stop crying, okay?"  
  
"You're just saying that. You don't like me at all! You're  
always trying to get rid of me!"  
  
She turned away from him and started crying again. Ranma  
decided that this would probably be a good time to lie through his  
teeth.  
  
"What are you talking about? I love you! If I really wanted to   
get rid of you I would have done it by now!"  
  
Ranma's twin stopped crying and nodded thoughtfully. "Well, you  
_are_ the greatest martial-artist on the face of the Earth... Do you  
really mean it? Do you really like me?"  
  
Ranma beamed with pride. Finally he had found someone who could  
appreciate him for the martial-arts master that he was. He was starting  
to really like her... er... himself.  
  
"Yeah, sure. I like you a lot!"  
  
Upon hearing Ranma's words his double's face lit up with a  
smile that made him weak in the knees. He thanked the kami that he  
rarely had to deal with any girls as cute as him.  
  
"If you really mean what you said, Ranma, then kiss me."  
  
Ranma blushed. She apparently wasn't one to beat around the  
bush. He glanced at Kasumi, who smiled sweetly at him and nodded for  
him to go on. He turned back to his double, who had closed her eyes  
and was blushing a bit herself.  
  
"Well, I guess maybe one little kiss wouldn't hurt."  
  
He took hold of his double by her shoulders, and gently pulled  
her closer to himself. Her blush deepened as he did so, and he felt  
better that he wasn't the only one embarrassed about doing this. He  
closed his own eyes and leaned closer to her. He mentally noted how  
strange it was that the first person he would kiss in this way would  
be none other than himself.  
  
*****  
  
"What are you doing, Ranma?"  
  
Ranma opened his eyes and found himself holding Ms. Urd's  
shoulders and leaning in to kiss her.  
  
"Gah!"  
  
He quickly let go of her and stepped backwards, only to be  
stopped when he bumped onto the person standing behind him. Why were  
there so many people in the train anyway? It wasn't even rush hour!  
Luckily, Ms. Urd didn't seem to be too mad about it. As a matter of  
fact, she was actually smiling at him.  
  
"In any case, Ranma, it's good that you finally woke up. We're  
almost there. We should be arriving any moment now."  
  
Ranma thought it was great that he was to be transferred to   
Juuban, the same place where Hotaru lived. Usagi and her friends also   
lived there, and they were apparently the heroines he had heard about   
who fought demons around here. If he was lucky, he might get to see  
them in action and find out how they did it.   
  
Ms. Urd also told him that he didn't have to go home until   
Saturday, giving him a whole week to figure out how to deal with Akane.   
She hadn't been herself lately.  
  
"Well, Ranma, we're here!"  
  
Ranma snapped out of his thoughts and found that the train had  
finally arrived at their stop. All thoughts of Akane drifted away as he  
followed Ms. Urd out of the train.  
  
*****  
  
"No! We were so close!"  
  
Lilith slammed her fist on the wall beside her as she reverted  
from Ranma's female form to her original body.   
  
'Hush, Lilith, you will wake up the kunoichi. You must have  
patience.'  
  
Lilith crossed her arms in front of her and pouted, managing to  
look incredibly cute in the process. Morrigan chuckled as she reverted  
from Kasumi's body back to her own. She gracefully made her way to  
Lilith's side and took the child into her arms.  
  
'Do not worry, child. I have something special planned for  
tonight. We shall have Ranma soon enough.'  
  
Lilith sighed and allowed herself to melt into her sister's  
hug. 'I love you, Onee-chan.'  
  
Morrigan smiled at this. 'I'm sure you do, Lilith. I love you,  
too.'  
  
*****  
  
"I'm so sorry, miss. I... I thought you were someone else.   
Please excuse me."  
  
Mamoru quickly walked away from the pigtailed redhead that he  
had mistaken for Lady Athan. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking  
about her. Even though he knew she had died when the Silver Millenium  
ended, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was out there somewhere,   
just waiting for him. It was getting so bad that he was starting to see   
images of her everywhere he went.  
  
He decided to go home for now. He needed time to himself. The  
mall was not a good place to be when you were mistaking every other   
girl you encountered for a long-lost love from a previous life. It  
was a good thing he had already taken care of Usagi. The last thing he  
needed right now was another one of her 'love can conquer all' pep   
talks.  
  
It was sort of strange, though. Was it only a few days ago that   
he had felt they were soulmates? Was it only last week that he had   
found those same speeches so inspiring and insightful? And then there   
were strange dreams he had been having. What was happening to him?   
Somehow, he had to get to the bottom of all this.  
  
*****  
  
"Who was that guy you were talking to, Hikaru? Is he a new  
boyfriend or something?"  
  
Hikaru laughed as she turned to Fuu and Umi, who had finally  
emerged from the ladies room. They had been watching her, apparently.  
She waved her hand dismissively at the direction the strange man had  
gone off to.  
  
"Of course not. He just mistook me for someone else, that's   
all."  
  
Umi grinned and sidled towards her. The blue-haired girl sidled  
towards Hikaru and gave her a playful shove.  
  
"I think he had the hots for you."  
  
Hikaru blushed at the idea. "Of course not! He looked almost  
old enough to be my father!"  
  
Umi smiled at Hikaru, a mischievous thought passing through her  
mind. "Maybe he's a pervert who likes to date high school girls!"  
  
Fuu raised her hand to her chin and thought for a few moments.  
  
"He reminds me of that guy we saw in Nerima, actually. The one  
with the bokken."  
  
Hikaru rolled her eyes. "Oh please, not _him_ again. That guy  
was just crazy!"  
  
Umi laughed out loud. "Oh yeah, I remember him! He kept saying  
that you were his pigtailed goddess!"  
  
Hikaru sighed and pulled her two companions along.   
  
*****  
  
Mousse opened his eyes slowly, the bright light making it hard   
to focus on his surroundings. He held his head steady with one hand as   
he pushed himself to a sitting position with the other. He was lying on   
a bed. He noticed that he was no longer wearing his clothes. He wasn't   
wearing anything, in fact. His clothes were gone, along with all of his   
weapons. He shook his head to clear it, and had to shut his eyes when  
the action brought his attention to the fact that he had a splitting  
headache.  
  
He heard a groan coming from somewhere to his right. He turned  
his head to see who had made the sound and was startled to see Ryoga on  
another bed beside his own. The wandering martial artist's body was  
completely covered with bruises. Like him, Ryoga was also completely  
naked.  
  
Mousse blushed.  
  
"I see that you are finally awake. I was beginning to think   
that you and your friend were going to sleep forever."  
  
Mousse quickly turned his head to the direction where the sound  
had come from, and clutched it with his hands when the motion caused  
waves of pain to emanate from his brain. If the owner of the voice had  
come to finish him off, he would not be able defend himself. After the  
pain had dissipated somewhat, he slowly raised his head again.  
  
There was a woman standing just inside an open door in front  
of him. The bright light coming from outside shrouded her features in  
darkness. Mousse adjusted his glasses to see better, but could not  
discern anything more. He cleared his throat to speak.  
  
"Where am I? How did I get here?"  
  
The woman chuckled at him. It seemed as if she found his  
ignorance to be terribly amusing.   
  
"My, aren't we inquisitive today? The answers to your questions  
will be given in due time, Mousse. For now, you must concentrate on  
getting better. That last battle took a lot out of you.  
  
Mousse blinked twice, adjusting his glasses to get a better  
look at the woman. He was sure he didn't recognize the voice as anyone   
he had ever met.  
  
"How did you know my name?"  
  
The woman waved an arm dismissively. "I know many things,   
Mousse. Do not concern yourself about such inconsequential details as  
the source of my knowledge."  
  
Mousse decided to lie down again. His head was beginning to  
hurt. Beside him, Ryoga was still groaning. He could feel his eyes   
growing heavy. He decided to ask one more question before going back  
to sleep.  
  
"Who are you, anyway?"  
  
She stepped into the room, closing the door behind her. Mousse   
could now see that she was wearing a red dress with a yellow cloak   
wrapped around her shoulders and arms. She was also wearing dark blue  
stockings with bright red, high heeled shoes.  
  
Mousse smiled to himself, thinking that even Ranma wouldn't be   
caught dead wearing such a ridiculous outfit. As his gaze traveled to   
her face, he saw that she had long, flowing dark hair. She reminded him  
of a gypsy. Now he was certain that they had never met before. He was   
not the type to forget anyone with her striking looks. He was startled   
out of his thoughts by her voice.  
  
"My name is... Rose."  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
As expected, a lot of scenes got bumped into the next chapter.  
Gomen, Chester-san.  
  
This took a while, I know. I blame three things for the delay:  
I got an internship at a programming company and they're working me   
like a slave, I'm still working on my thesis, and the fact that Shinobu   
is the cutest girl in the world.   
  
I would also like to know if anyone is interested in Love Hina  
fanfiction written by me. (I've got five of them written on paper :p)  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	13. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I own the story, not the characters. I don't profit from  
writing this. In fact, it results in a net loss for me.  
  
Warning: Shady's back.   
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 11  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
Rei Hino opened her locker and stepped backwards to avoid the  
flood of love letters that came pouring out. She kicked the letters  
aside and began rummaging through the contents of her locker for her   
spare communicator.  
  
She had broken her regular communicator when one of her many   
female admirers decided to get touchy-feely with her during homeroom.   
The vicious backhand she reflexively executed not only sent the poor  
girl sprawling, but also damaged the communicator she was holding   
beyond repair. It had taken all morning to convince the principal that   
it was an accident and now lunch was almost over. She had to contact   
Usagi and the others quickly and find out if they had come up with a   
plan to free Ranma from his fiancees yet.   
  
She moved her math book aside, tossed out a stray love note,   
and smiled as the tiny communication device she had been searching for  
came into her view. She picked it up, flipped it open, pressed a tiny  
button on it, and waited for Usagi to pick up. A few seconds later,  
the small screen in the middle of the communicator flickered to life  
and Usagi's face came into view.  
  
"Hello, Usagi. Have you guys come up with a plan yet?"  
  
Usagi grinned at Rei before replying, "Of course we have! It's  
sure to work, too! All we have to do is go to Nerima and...."  
  
*****  
  
Somewhere in Nerima, hidden in a dark portion of an empty lot,  
a handsome young man lay tied up on a bed. He was shouting for help at   
the top of his lungs, but no one seemed to hear his pleas.  
  
"Somebody save me! These awful girls are all forcing me to   
marry them!"  
  
Ranma struggled valiantly against the ropes that bound him to  
the bed, but was unable to get free. Tears flowed freely from his eyes  
as he lamented the fact that he would be forced to marry a woman that  
he did not love. Four hideously deformed young women danced around him  
in circles, their faces contorted with expressions of pure evil. While  
dancing, they chanted spells designed to ward off defenders of love and   
justice. The ugliest among them, a muscular girl wearing a leotard and  
twirling a length of ribbon, laughed at Ranma's discomfort.  
  
"You will never be able to escape, Ranma! I shall marry you and  
doom you to a loveless marriage!"  
  
Ranma turned towards her and started pleading for his future.  
An observant person would note that in turning, he managed to rip apart  
his tattered shirt, revealing his washboard abs and rippling pectoral  
muscles for all to see.  
  
"Please stop what you're doing! Don't you see that I can never  
be happy in such a situation? Why are you being so mean?"  
  
At that, Ranma found himself being forcefully jerked around to  
face the other way by another one of his tormentors. She was overweight  
and very hairy all over her body. The only piece of clothing she wore  
was an animal skin that she had draped around herself.  
  
"Stop whining, Ranma. I shall bring you back to China with me  
where I and the other Amazons will take turns ravishing you until you  
are reduced to nothing but a shell of the man you once were!"  
  
Ranma looked at her with pleading eyes, his face a mask of  
pure anguish. "Why are you so intent upon forcing yourselves upon me?  
Can't you see that I don't _love_ you?"  
  
The third woman, covered in grime and smelling awful, stopped  
chanting and walked towards Ranma. She was grossly obese, her body  
threatening to burst out of the dirty okonomiyaki seller's outfit that  
she wore. Her hair was cut short and hidden beneath a scarf that she   
used to cover her head. The scarf was a very dark gray, although it   
might conceivably have been white once. The rest of her clothing was   
similarly unkempt.  
  
"I don't care whether you love me or not, Ranma. You left me  
by the side of the road all those years ago and now it's payback time!"  
  
The fourth young girl, who was built like a gorilla and looked  
about half as intelligent, chose this moment to air her own thoughts on   
the subject. She had huge, bulging muscles that made her look more like   
a man than a girl. She was easily one of the most uncute girls Sailor  
Moon had ever met in her entire life.  
  
"Ranma, you know you can't back out on our engagement without  
bringing dishonor on your family. We've been engaged since before we  
were born!"  
  
The four of them started dancing and chanting around Ranma   
again. Ranma, on the other hand, could only watch as he struggled  
against the ropes around him.   
  
Suddenly, from out of the blue, they all heard a beautiful,   
melodious voice cry out.   
  
"For love and justice, I am the beautiful sailor-suited soldier   
Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon, I shall punish you!"  
  
The four women stopped in their tracks and looked around for   
the source of the shout. Fortunately for them, the surprise visitor  
chose a well lit position on top of the fence surrounding the lot to  
stand on. Unfortunately, however, that visitor was none other than  
Sailor Moon herself, in all her glorious beauty and splendor!  
  
Sailor Moon struck a heroic pose, then pointed at the group of  
ugly, uncute girls surrounding Ranma.  
  
"Marriage is the ultimate expression of love between two people  
who love each other. You should never force anyone to marry you if he  
doesn't want to. In the name of the moon, I shall punish you!"  
  
The burly girl wearing a karate gi smirked at the beautiful  
defender of love and justice. She glanced at her companions, then  
turned back towards Sailor Moon.  
  
"You may be strong, Sailor Moron, but there are four of us and   
only one of you. You don't scare us!"  
  
After speaking, she proceeded to laugh maniacally. Sailor Moon  
noted that the action made her look even less cute than before. Her   
laughter was cut short, however, when another voice called out, one  
almost as melodic as Sailor Moon's own.  
  
She turned to the direction where the sound had come from and   
found four other beautiful women dressed similarly to Sailor Moon. She   
had no trouble finding them, either, because they had also chosen a   
well lit portion of the fence to stand on. She waited patiently while  
the one in red recited her entrance speech.  
  
"We are the Sailor Senshi! We have come to help our leader,  
Sailor Moon, who is much cuter and more beautiful than any of us. We   
shall punish you in the name of Mars, Venus, Mercury, and Jupiter,  
respectively!"  
  
Upon realizing that they were badly outnumbered, Ranma's four  
captors immediately threw themselves at Sailor Moon's feet, almost  
hitting their ugly little heads against the fence.  
  
"Oh please don't hurt us, Sailor Moon! We're sorry for doing   
all those bad things to Ranma! We promise to only do good from now on!"  
  
Sailor Moon smiled. This was just the latest in a long line of  
jobs well done for her. She looked down at Ranma's defeated fiancees   
and spoke softly. "I will forgive you, but only if you promise to stop   
bugging Ranma and leave him alone forever!"  
  
The four women nodded their heads vigorously and almost fell  
over each other in their haste to run to Ranma's bed and cut him loose.  
After regaining his freedom Ranma jumped to the top of the fence and  
landed beside Sailor Moon. She turned to him, and their eyes locked in  
a moment of pure love. Ranma held Sailor Moon's shoulders and pulled  
her against his well muscled, shirtless torso in a tight hug.  
  
"Thank you for saving me, Sailor Moon. I love you. Let's get  
married right away!"  
  
Sailor Moon pulled away from Ranma's body, immediately missing  
the feel of his rock hard... muscles... against her body. She looked up  
at his handsome face, tears in her eyes.  
  
"Yes, Ranma, I've known all along that you were the only one   
for me and that we were destined to get married in a big church wedding  
with flowers all over the place and the smell of perfume pervading the   
atmosphere!"  
  
Then, they kissed. It was a beautiful, awe-inspiring kiss the  
likes of which had never been seen before. Lots of tongue, too.  
  
On the other side of the fence, the rest of the senshi watched  
with mixed feelings. While they recognized that Ranma and Sailor Moon  
were destined for each other and that Sailor Moon was more deserving  
than any of them of Ranma's love and rock hard... muscles... they still  
felt mildly jealous of their leader's good fortune.   
  
Sailor Mars stood still, her heart pounding against her chest.  
It was such a shame to lose Ranma to Sailor Moon, but such was the way  
of true love. She brushed away the tears in her eyes and looked once  
again at the happy couple, who were now approaching their fifth minute  
of torrid kissing.  
  
"Never let your love die, Sailor Moon. It's the most important   
part of you."  
  
Behind her, the other Senshi nodded sagely.  
  
*****  
  
"Don't worry about it, Minako. It's not important."  
  
"But... but...."  
  
"Mako-chan is right. Physical traits may skip a few generations  
before manifesting themselves. I'll lend you my book on genetics if you   
want to learn more."  
  
Usagi heard the voices of her friends and slowly opened her   
eyes. She looked at her communicator and found that the screen was now   
empty. The timer on it indicated that about three minutes had passed   
since Rei's call.  
  
'I must have dozed off for a while back there. I hope Rei isn't   
too angry at me.'  
  
She flipped her communicator closed and made her way out of the  
bathroom stall. She was greeted by the sight of Makoto, Minako, and Ami  
all staring into the mirror.   
  
She walked towards them and spoke cheerily. "Hey, guys, what're  
you looking at?"  
  
Minako turned to her and spoke with an unnaturally serious tone  
to her voice. "I was just thinking, Usagi. I'm not sure I look Japanese   
at all."  
  
Usagi smiled at Minako and patted her friend's right shoulder.  
  
"Don't be silly, Mina-chan. _I'm_ Japanese and you look almost  
exactly like me."  
  
*****  
  
"I can't believe she actually fell asleep!"  
  
Rei Hino stomped off to class, muttering along the way. She  
would never have thought Usagi was capable of falling asleep in the  
middle of a conversation, but she had apparently underestimated her  
blonde friend's ability to fall unconscious at the drop of a hat. Her  
spare communicator wasn't configured properly to contact the other   
girls so she would have to wait until after school before she could   
ask them about what plan they had come up with to free Ranma from his   
unwanted fiancees.  
  
*****  
  
  
"Here's your class list, Ranma."  
  
Ranma nodded lazily and took the small piece of paper from Ms.   
Urd. He glanced at the list, not really looking at what classes she had  
picked for him, then stuck it into his pocket. He was very happy that  
Ms. Urd had taken care of everything so all he had to do was sign a few  
forms before he officially became a student of Juuban High.   
  
"So what now?"  
  
Urd smiled at Ranma, showing him a set of perfectly formed  
teeth.  
  
"You won't actually start class until tomorrow so we'll spend   
the rest of the day together. I'll just give you a tour of the place   
and then I'll show you where you're going to live, okay?"  
  
Ranma quickly shook his head. "I've already been to Juuban a  
couple of times, Ms. Urd, so I can find my way around here. How about  
you just take me to wherever I'm going to stay and we can talk about  
that trick you did with Ms. Hinako."  
  
Urd paused for a moment, then nodded. "Well, if you're sure  
you can find your way around then I guess we could just skip the tour.  
We can spend the rest of the day talking if you want, but I have no   
idea what trick you're talking about. Ms. Hinako overloaded herself   
while draining me. I didn't do anything."  
  
Ranma crossed his arms in front of himself. "Aw come on!   
There's no way a normal human being can give off enough aura to do   
that. I've seen Ms. Hinako drain the whole school once! You're only  
one person. You've got to have used a martial arts technique to boost   
your battle aura and overload her."  
  
Urd shook her head and smiled at him. "I didn't use any  
martial-arts techniques to beat Ms. Hinako, Ranma. Let's go."  
  
Ranma allowed Urd to pull him away from the campus. He didn't   
believe her, of course, but he would do as she said for now. She would   
surely tell him what technique she had used once she got to know him a   
little better. She was a woman, after all, and women did not refuse   
Ranma Saotome anything.  
  
*****  
  
"Yes, Great-Grandmother. Shampoo sure it was Airen. Ranma go  
inside school with older woman and not come out until much later."  
  
Cologne listened with great interest to the news Shampoo had   
brought her . Who was this older woman that Ranma had gone to Juuban   
with? What were they doing there? Were the Sailor Senshi somehow   
involved in this new development? Either way, they now had a much   
greater chance of stealing Ranma from Shampoo.   
  
She held onto her staff tightly as she considered her options.   
She didn't want to reveal her hand this early in the game but Ranma was   
far too important to let go. She would take drastic measures to ensure   
his marriage to Shampoo if she had to, but she could still afford to   
let her grand-daughter handle things for now.  
  
"Do not make contact with son-in-law, child, but keep an eye  
on him. If Ranma is in Juuban, then it will only be a matter of time   
before the Senshi track him down. I want you to observe everything he   
does. Do not let Ranma or the Senshi see you. Report back to me   
tomorrow and I shall have further instructions for you."  
  
"Yes, Great-Grandmother. Shampoo go watch Airen for now. Bye-  
bye!"  
  
Cologne uttered a short prayer for Shampoo's success as she put   
the phone down. She then hopped towards her room, where she opened her  
trunk and retrieved an ornate box that seemed to be sealed shut. She  
ran her hands over the ancient wood and intricate carvings on it.   
  
"Do not fail me this time, Shampoo. The consequences are far  
too great."  
  
*****  
  
"Um... Michiru-mama... are you sure it's okay to leave school   
early just for this?"  
  
Michiru patted Hotaru on the head and gave her a reassuring   
smile. "Of course it's okay. A couple of missed classes would hardly   
be able to teach you half of what you'll learn this afternoon. So, are   
you ready, Hotaru-chan?"  
  
Hotaru took a deep breath. She wondered if Michiru could tell  
how nervous she was about this whole thing. What if she couldn't use   
her womanly charms at all? What if she didn't have any charm to begin   
with? It would be so embarrassing to fail at being a woman.  
  
"I'm ready, Mama."  
  
Michiru took Hotaru's hand and led her to a nearby bench. She  
had taken Hotaru to the park shortly after getting the girl excused   
from afternoon classes. She looked around for a few seconds and spotted  
a man selling ice cream from a stand. She opened her handbag and dug  
around inside it for some spare change. A few moments later, she fished   
out a couple of coins and handed them to Hotaru.  
  
"Why don't you buy us some ice cream before we begin, Hotaru?  
There's a stand right over there."  
  
Hotaru quickly stood up from her seat.   
  
"Okay, Mama. I'll be back right away."  
  
Michiru's face broke into a grin as she watched Hotaru walk  
towards the stall. The girl hadn't a clue that her lesson in the ways  
of the world and how a woman survives in it had already begun. She  
watched as Hotaru took the cones from the man, bowed her thanks, and  
made her way back to the bench. There was a big smile on Hotaru's face,  
just as she had planned. She reached out to take her ice cream from  
Hotaru and listened to what she already knew the girl would say.  
  
"That man was really nice, Mama. He gave me two extra scoops  
for each of our cones!"  
  
Michiru smiled at Hotaru, licked at her ice cream, and patted  
the space beside her for Hotaru to sit down. After Hotaru was seated  
comfortably she officially began the lesson.  
  
"Why do you think the man gave you those extra scoops, Hotaru-  
chan?"  
  
Hotaru stopped licking her ice cream for a moment to give her  
reply. "He said it was because I was such a nice little girl."  
  
Michiru took another lick from her cone before asking another  
question. "You don't know that man, do you?"  
  
Hotaru answered quickly. "Of course not. I've never seen him  
before."  
  
Michiru grinned. "So how did he know that you were such a nice  
little girl?"  
  
Hotaru opened her mouth to speak, but found herself unable to  
come up with a good answer. How _did_ that man know anything about her?  
She was sure they had never met before.  
  
"I... I'm not sure, Mama."  
  
Michiru slid closer to Hotaru and spoke in a low voice. "Do you  
think you're cute, Hotaru?"  
  
Hotaru blushed bright red and almost dropped her ice cream as  
she uttered a response. "Well... I guess... that is... I don't know,  
Mama. I guess so."  
  
Michiru smiled. "Hotaru, the first step towards using your   
womanly charms to your advantage is recognizing that they exist. If   
you don't, they might even work against you. Why do you think your  
classmates tease you all the time?"  
  
Hotaru shuddered. Although the teasing had stopped for the most  
part lately, there were still plenty of students at her school who  
would gang up on her and tease her to no end. It was the reason she had  
been crying when she first met Ranma, in fact.  
  
"It's because I can heal people, Mama."  
  
Michiru shook her head. "People don't hate other people for  
being able to heal, Hotaru. Your classmates may tease you about your  
healing powers, but they do it because you're cute."  
  
Hotaru's eyes opened wide. This was an entirely new idea that  
had never occurred to her before. Still, it made no sense. Why would   
her classmates dislike her for being cute?  
  
"I don't understand, Mama."  
  
Michiru took another lick of her ice cream. "Let me put it this  
way, Hotaru-chan. The girls in your class are all jealous of you and  
the boys are all frustrated with you."  
  
Hotaru popped the last remaining bit of ice cream from her cone  
into her mouth while Michiru spoke. She pondered her Mama's words as  
the ice cream melted in her mouth. Could it be that her classmates were  
just jealous of her all along?  
  
Seeing that Hotaru still didn't fully understand, Michiru  
continued with her explanation. "You're much prettier than any of the  
other girls in your school, Hotaru. The other girls know this, even  
though they might not necessarily be aware of it. They see you and feel  
insecure about themselves because deep down they know that they would  
never be able to become as pretty as you are now, and you'll only grow  
more beautiful as you grow older. They tease you as a means to take you  
down to their own level. The boys, on the other hand, look at you and  
see a girl way out of their league. Like the girls, they instinctively  
know that you're on a level far above their own, so they try to pull  
you down from it."  
  
Hotaru stared at Michiru. Why had her Mama never told her about  
this before? Was she serious? It still didn't seem to make any sense.  
  
"But I don't want to be on a higher level than they are, Mama.  
I just want to fit in."  
  
Michiru held her ice cream with her left hand and used her  
right arm to hold Hotaru against her. "I know that, Hotaru-chan, but   
your classmates don't. That's what makes it so sad. It's wrong to  
judge someone because of their looks, but people do it anyway. The  
good thing is that you can use this to your advantage."  
  
Hotaru looked up at Michiru. "But how do I do _that_?"  
  
Michiru frowned as she thought of the best way to put her ideas  
into words. How had her mother explained this to her all those years  
ago? After a moment, her face brightened and she again broke into a  
smile as the words came to her.  
  
"Would you participate in an eating contest with Usagi, or try  
to play volleyball against Minako-chan?"  
  
This time it was Hotaru's turn to frown. What was her Mama  
getting at? She decided to just answer the question as best as she  
could.  
  
"I guess I could play, but I wouldn't win."  
  
Michiru's smile grew broader as she got the expected answer.  
  
"Why is that, Hotaru-chan? Why wouldn't you win?"  
  
Hotaru shrugged. "Well, I'm not as good as they are at doing  
those things."  
  
Michiru nodded. She attempted to take another lick of her ice  
cream but found that she had already consumed it all. She was really  
getting into this.   
  
"That's exactly right, Hotaru-chan. Minako is much better at  
playing volleyball than you are, so you would never stand a chance  
against her in that game. You are essentially confronting her in an   
arena that is one of her strengths and, at the same time, is one of   
your weaknesses. You must never allow this to happen. The trick lies  
in finding other people's weaknesses and pitting your strengths against   
them. If you can do that consistently you will always hold the upper  
hand when interacting with other people."  
  
Hotaru mulled this new information over in her mind. Could it  
really be that simple? It sounded so easy!  
  
"That's all, Mama?"  
  
Michiru shook her head. "No, not really. While the core idea is  
relatively simple to grasp, it is very difficult to apply. You must   
remember that everyone has weaknesses, including you. Everyone you meet   
will be trying to charm you just as you are trying to charm them."  
  
Hotaru nodded thoughtfully. Michiru continued speaking.  
  
"It is also possible to turn strengths into weaknesses and   
weaknesses into strengths. Being bad at sports, for example, can pave   
the way for your asking a man to teach you how to play better. This   
shifts the focus away from the competitive aspect of sports, where he  
excels, and puts emphasis on a more social setting, where you can use  
your cuteness to full effect."  
  
Michiru looked at Hotaru, who was paying attention to her every  
word. It felt good to be doing this for the girl. It called out to her  
maternal instincts, which she hadn't even known existed. She continued  
talking.  
  
"Sometimes, a person will come along to whom your principal   
strengths are completely ineffective. In these cases, you must try to   
find other strengths that can be used against them. Some of the more  
attractive men have grown jaded to physical beauty, for example, but  
are extremely vulnerable to the allure of an intelligent female."  
  
Michiru decided that she had already said a lot at this point,  
and that it would be good to give Hotaru some time to assimilate the  
information.  
  
"Why don't you think about what I've said for a while, Hotaru-  
chan? You can ask questions, if there's anything you don't understand."  
  
Hotaru wished that she had brought her notebook with her. Her  
Mama's words really made sense. She now knew why Michiru never lost an   
argument with Haruka. If she could only learn to be half as good as  
Michiru was at using her own strengths, then she would be able to keep  
Usagi and the others from stealing Ranma! A smile was starting to form  
on her young face when an idea came to her. She turned to Michiru with  
a troubled look on her pretty face.  
  
"Michiru-Mama?"  
  
Michiru turned to Hotaru. "Yes, Hotaru-chan?"  
  
Hotaru frowned as she asked her question. "What if I meet  
someone who isn't affected by any of my strengths, but can affect me?"  
  
Michiru grinned. "When that happens, Hotaru-chan, you'll never  
know what hit you."  
  
*****  
  
"So that is what happened. I sent Usagi and the others to try  
and find a way to correct the timelines but I do not think that they  
have what it takes to do so. I would have done something myself, but  
the changes Urd made to the past have already begun to affect me. Even   
now, I find it difficult to think of Athan's reincarnated form without   
feeling as though I should just give in to Urd and run into his arms.  
I find myself unable to even mention his name, lest I turn into some  
giggly, love-struck young woman."  
  
Haruka paused for a few moments, trying to take in all the  
information that Setsuna had presented to her. This was something that  
she had never even considered in her wildest dreams. She turned to  
her companion, who seemed to be similarly lost in thought.  
  
"What I don't understand is, how could this happen? How could  
one man successfully win the love of all nine senshi? Tell me, Setsuna,  
what happened after that ball you told me about?"  
  
It took only a few seconds for Setsuna to remember what had  
taken place after that fateful night when Queen Serenity assigned Athan   
to be her official escort. It was almost scary, how her head was filled   
with all these memories that she did not have a few days ago but could   
now recall quite easily. They all seemed so real! As time passed, it   
was becoming harder and harder to tell which memories were real, and   
which ones were only a product of the changes Urd made to the past.   
  
"Well, I had to obey Queen Serenity, of course. Athan kept   
trying to get me into bed with him the whole time we were together. He   
had this silly idea stuck in his head that if he could only get me to   
sleep with him, I would forget all of his past misdeeds and fall madly  
in love with him."  
  
Haruka raised her eyebrows. "You make it seem as though Athan   
was a sexist pig of a man. How was he able to get you to fall in love   
with him? What could you possibly like in a man like that?"  
  
Setsuna opened her mouth to answer Haruka's question, then   
closed it again when she realized that she did not know the answer. How   
_did_ she ever fall in love with Athan anyway? It seemed that all she   
could remember was a brief period of intense rivalry between her and   
the handsome guard from Earth; followed by the best six months of her   
life right before Beryl attacked with the Negaverse Generals and ended   
the Silver Millennium.  
  
She was about to answer that she could not remember how Athan  
managed to reel her in when the memories suddenly came back to her.  
She turned to Haruka and grinned.  
  
"Athan may not have been the most genteel man in the kingdom,   
but he _was_ a superb dancer. I found it enjoyable to finally use all   
the dance lessons I had to endure as a young girl, but was unable to   
take advantage of later in life because everyone was too afraid that   
they would accidentally step on my foot and bring the wrath of Sailor   
Pluto down upon them.   
  
"It didn't help much, either, that I was a horrible dancer and   
kept tripping all over my partners. It would give me a small measure  
of satisfaction whenever Athan would yelp in pain at one of my many   
mistakes. Of course, I made sure to wear shoes with very sharp heels   
whenever I danced with him. And you know what the best part of the  
deal was?"  
  
Haruka raised her eyebrows at Setsuna's question. "No, but I   
have a feeling that you'll be telling me all about it shortly."  
  
Setsuna's face broke into a grin.  
  
"Everyone else was so _jealous_ of me! Everywhere I looked the  
women were staring at me, wishing that I would leave Athan alone for a  
few moments so that they could swoop down on him like the sad, pathetic  
vultures that they were. I never did, of course. Even that slut, Venus,   
with her blonde hair and disgustingly large chest, couldn't help but   
stare at me with pure envy in her silly blue eyes. Sometimes, I'd give   
Athan a little peck on the cheek just to annoy her. I loved it!"  
  
Haruka watched with wide eyes as Setsuna started laughing  
giddily and rubbing her hands together like a madwoman. The sight was  
so disturbing that she even failed to notice that the action was  
causing Setsuna's chest to jiggle around enticingly. She crept out of   
Setsuna's room as silently as she could, then dashed over to her own   
bedroom for a change of clothes. She needed to get out of here. Fast.  
  
*****  
  
"So how do you like it?"  
  
Urd watched Ranma with amusement as he walked around his new  
apartment. It was nothing special, really, but he acted like she had  
just given him a fully furnished mansion. Actually, the apartment was  
very sparsely furnished, but she could tell that he liked all the extra   
space. She smiled warmly at him when he re-entered the kitchen after  
looking through the rest of the place.  
  
"Wow, look at this place. It's huge!"  
  
Urd smiled as she watched Ranma. She had spent so much time   
watching him that she felt she knew more about him than he did. This   
meant, of course, that it was her moral obligation as a goddess to   
guide him towards the path of true happiness. This in turn entailed   
getting him hitched to a gorgeous woman who would dedicate her life to   
making him as happy as he could possibly be. She followed him as he  
looked around the apartment.  
  
"I'm glad you like it, Ranma. The refrigerator and the kitchen  
cabinets are all well-stocked with supplies and I've already paid the  
rent so you won't have to worry about food or money anymore. I won't  
be checking in that often, so this apartment is basically yours to do  
with as you please. You'll be the only person living here, but I trust  
that you'll... behave yourself."  
  
Urd winked slyly at Ranma as she said the last sentence. Ranma,  
for his part, missed the thinly veiled suggestion completely. He was  
far more interested in finding out how Ms. Urd had managed to defeat  
Ms. Hinako so easily. Seeing that Ms. Urd wasn't going to bring up the  
topic of their scheduled talk, he decided to remind her about it.  
  
"You don't need to worry about a thing, Ms. Urd. I understand  
completely. Now, about that talk we were going to have-"  
  
Ranma was interrupted mid-speech by the ringing of Ms. Urd's  
cellular phone. She opened her bag, reached inside, and retrieved an  
expensive-looking gadget from it. She flipped the device open, pressed   
a button on it, then held it against her ear. She listened to the   
person on the other end for a few minutes, giving simple yes or no   
answers from time to time. Finally, she snapped the cell phone closed   
and turned back towards Ranma.   
  
"I'm very sorry, Ranma, but I need to go back to the office   
right away. We'll just have our talk later, okay?"  
  
Ranma's face fell. He was hoping to get Ms. Urd to tell him  
about her secret technique before the day was over. Still, it wouldn't  
do to get Ms. Urd upset with him so he had to make it look like he  
didn't mind. He forced himself to smile as he answered.  
  
"That's okay, Ms. Urd. We'll just talk later. I don't mind. You  
should get back to your office or whatever."  
  
Urd wrapped Ranma in a tight hug as she spoke. "I really am  
sorry for the inconvenience, Ranma. I promise I'll make it up to you   
later. For now, I want you to take this."  
  
Urd let go of Ranma and pressed a something into his hands.  
Ranma held it up to the light to examine it more closely and found that  
it was a small vial containing a light blue liquid. It had a label with  
a picture of Ms. Urd on it. There was some writing on the label, but  
it was in a foreign language that he couldn't read. He turned the vial  
over in his hands and found that it was a single piece of solid glass,  
making it impossible to seal shut once opened. He turned to Ms. Urd   
with a questioning gaze.  
  
"Thanks, Ms. Urd. But... um... what is it?"  
  
Urd giggled at his question. Her plan was working perfectly so  
far. "It's just a little something to get rid of the jitters on your  
first day. I'm sure you must be very nervous about going to a whole  
new school."  
  
Ranma laughed out loud and shook his head.  
  
"Look I ain't afraid of nuthin'! I've been moving around all my  
life so I'm used to this sort of thing already. You should just take it  
back and give it to someone who really needs it"  
  
Urd gave Ranma her cutest 'hurt puppy dog' look and whimpered  
slightly. She allowed her eyes to water a bit with crocodile tears and  
turned away so that they glistened in the light.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ranma. I'm just so useless to you, aren't I? I'll  
just take this back and-"  
  
Ranma quickly interrupted Urd by waving his hands in front of   
him. It simply wouldn't do to get her upset before she had a chance to   
teach him her secret technique. "On second thought, maybe I should hang   
onto this anyway. I usually don't get really nervous until I get to the   
front door anyway, so it might still come in handy."  
  
Urd wiped away her tears and smiled at Ranma again. "Well, in   
that case, I'd better get going then. Do you still have the class list   
and cell phone that I gave you?"  
  
Ranma nodded an affirmative as he pulled the two items from his  
pockets and showed them to her. She glanced at them quickly before  
continuing.  
  
"Just follow the instructions on your class list to get to  
homeroom. Your class advisor should assign a student to help you out  
on your first day after that. If you have any more questions, my  
number is already programmed into the phone. I'll drop by tomorrow  
afternoon so we can have that talk you wanted, okay? Bye!"  
  
Ranma nodded after every reminder Urd gave him and watched  
her leave with a touch of disappointment. He would have to wait a  
whole day before he could learn about her secret technique. Now he  
had the rest of the day off with nothing to do. He decided to take  
an afternoon jog around Juuban.  
  
*****  
  
Morrigan chuckled to herself at the sight of her younger sister  
pacing back and forth through the kitchen. Anxious and worried as she  
was, however, Lilith still managed to look cute. The girl hadn't yet  
learned to suppress her powers so she would look attractive no matter  
what she was doing.  
  
"Do not worry, Lilith. The time will come soon enough. Once  
Ranma falls asleep again, he will be ours."  
  
Lilith stopped pacing and turned to her older sister. "How do  
you know he'll be ours? He's managed to resist us so far, hasn't he?"  
  
Morrigan took Lilith into her arms and soothed the younger  
succubus by stroking her back. She had to calm Lilith down somehow,  
or the pheromones produced by her body in response to the stress  
would start to attract males from outside the restaurant.  
  
"Ranma has never resisted, Lilith. He has simply been lucky  
for the past few days."  
  
Lilith scowled at her older sister. She couldn't understand  
how Morrigan could be so... relaxed about the whole thing.  
  
"What if Ranma gets lucky again tonight, huh? What do we do  
then?"  
  
Morrigan smiled. "We wait until he falls asleep again, child.  
Ranma has to get lucky every time he sleeps, whereas we only need to  
get lucky once. Sooner or later, Ranma will be ours and we won't  
ever need to feed on each other again."  
  
Lilith pouted cutely and turned away from Morrigan. "Don't you  
like me anymore, Onee-chan?"  
  
Morrigan couldn't help but laugh at Lilith's childish display.  
A few more years would have to pass before her sister would have what  
it takes to become a true force to be reckoned with. For now, however,  
her innocent looks and seductive powers would be enough to make up for  
her lack of skill and self-confidence.   
  
"Do not worry, Lilith, you know I love you. After tonight,   
Ranma will love you as well."  
  
Lilith closed her eyes and sighed as she allowed herself to   
melt into the arms of her sister. Morrigan was right, of course. Ranma   
may be one of the greatest martial artists the world has ever seen, but   
he was still a man. He would never know what hit him.  
  
*****  
  
Makoto Kino walked slowly along the sidewalk on her way home  
while carrying a large bag of groceries. She would have preferred to go   
to the temple with Usagi and the others to fill Rei in on their new   
plan, but she had food to buy.  
  
She stopped walking and looked over the bag of groceries she  
was carrying to get a better look at the handsome young lad jogging  
across the street from her. Her face brightened into a smile when she  
saw that he wore his hair in a pig-tail behind him. She knew only one  
man who wore his hair that way and his name was Ranma Saotome.  
  
"Ranma, over here! It's me, Makoto!"  
  
Ranma stopped jogging and looked behind him to see who was  
calling his name. He didn't recognize her at first, but he soon  
placed the face of the girl as one of Hotaru's friends from a few  
days ago. He quickly made his way over to her side.  
  
"Hi there. Long time no see! What are you doing here? I  
thought you worked as a shrine maiden. Here, let me carry that for  
you."  
  
Makoto frowned momentarily as Ranma took the grocery bag from  
her. Less than a week had passed since their last meeting and he had  
already gotten her confused with someone else.  
  
It was sweet of him to carry her groceries for her, however,   
and he _was_ staring rather intently at her face so at least he was   
paying attention to her. Besides, she had him all to herself for the   
time being. If she played her cards right, he would never forget about   
her again. She flashed him her cutest smile and stood beside him,   
making sure that their shoulders touched and that Ranma would be able   
to get a good view of her cleavage if he tried hard enough.  
  
"That would be Rei, Ranma. Rei is the shrine maiden. My name is  
Makoto, remember?"  
  
Ranma's face brightened considerably after Makoto replied,  
which made her happy. He stopped staring at her, though, so she   
wondered if she had said something that turned him off. Could it be   
that he had a secret shrine maiden fetish and now that he knew she   
wasn't Rei he wasn't interested anymore? She had to change the topic.  
  
"You know, Ranma, I have very large breasts."  
  
Ranma's jaw dropped and his eyes opened wide after his mind had  
a chance to decipher Makoto's words. Did she really just make a casual  
comment about the size of her breasts? He chanced a glance at her and  
found that he had an all but unobstructed view of her cleavage which,  
while not quite as impressive as his own or even Shampoo's, _did_ make  
both Ukyo and Akane look flat chested in comparison. Then again, he had  
never really taken a good look at Ukyo's chest so he _might_ have been  
mistaken.  
  
He made a mental note to check the next time he and his  
favorite okonomiyaki chef met.  
  
The important thing was that Makoto had given him her name so  
he didn't have to keep staring at her to try and figure it out anymore.  
It was bad enough that she knew he had mistaken her for the shrine  
maiden. It would have been worse if she knew he had initially guessed  
that her name was Ami. Maybe if he did something nice for her, he could  
get back on her good side.  
  
"Where do you live, Makoto? I'll walk you there and carry these  
bags for ya."  
  
Makoto turned to Ranma before answering. "Thanks, Ranma. That's   
so sweet of you. My apartment isn't very far from here. I'll just give   
you directions as we go along. Oh, and call me Mako-chan."  
  
*****  
  
Setsuna threw another evening gown out of Michiru's closet  
and turned back towards it to continue her search. It was just her   
luck, she mused, that she lived in a house containing mountains of   
clothing and she couldn't find a single outfit to suit her needs. She   
brought out a short mini-skirt and examined it. She held it against  
her hips for a few seconds, then threw it onto the bed with the rest  
of Michiru's clothes. Her own wardrobe was useless to her, as she   
expected, but she had hoped that Michiru would have something   
appropriate.   
  
She was about to check Haruka's closet when she saw something   
from out of the corner of her eye. Closer inspection revealed that it   
was a small metallic ring embedded into the wood behind the closet. Her   
curiosity piqued, she tugged a bit on it and found that the action   
caused a whole section of the wood to swing open and reveal a hidden  
section of the closet, this one with more... interesting... items in   
it. She pulled one of the outfits out to get a better look and found   
that it was a couple of sizes too small and would never cover her up  
properly.  
  
'Perfect.'  
  
Setsuna grinned as she carefully set the outfit down on a  
nearby chair and started putting Michiru's clothes back where she had   
found them. Ranma would never know what hit him.  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
I would like to thank Vex, Micelkomphasouk, Seaver, Grum,  
Kagato, Tony, Ruben Torcato, Dark Knight, Thermopyle, Chester, Alex  
Raven, Farmer, Fred V., Helmut Steeg, DragonsID, RaeMowse, Groo, Bryan  
Durnell, and Egan Mandreck for all of their help.  
  
In an amazing turn of events that surprises no one, I have yet  
again been unable to fit everything I wanted to in this chapter. My  
workload has actually increased, and it's getting harder and harder to  
come up with new chapters quickly. Fear not, however, for I stand firm  
in my commitment to continue working on this until it's over and done  
with (which, if the trend of chapters turning out to be longer than I  
expected them to be continues throughout the whole series, would happen  
about a billion chapters from this one)  
  
Don't worry, everyone. We're getting closer and closer to the  
really good parts.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	14. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Only an idiot would think that I own the characters  
depicted in this fanfiction series. Only a fool would actually sue me  
for using them. Only Asuka Souryu Langley knows who I really am,  
and she's too busy being disgusted to answer any questions.  
  
Warning: This fanfiction series has, on rare occasions, been known  
to cause laughter in susceptible individuals. Read with caution.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 12  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
"What do you mean, you can't let me in? I have an appointment  
to see Peorth at exactly four o'clock this afternoon. It's already  
half-past five!"  
  
A large vein throbbed at Tsunami's left temple. She had been  
arguing with the security officers of Asgard for more than an hour, and  
her patience was starting to wear thin. If it wasn't for the fact that  
the head of security was so cute, she would have blown him away into  
nothingness already. As it was, she was starting to entertain thoughts  
of blowing him anyway, just to pass the time.  
  
He smiled at her, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth, and  
scratched the back of his head.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry, Miss Tsunami, but you aren't scheduled  
to arrive until the day after tomorrow, and I am not authorized to   
grant you entry into Asgard at this time. I have already placed a call   
to the main office about this matter, so please sit at the waiting  
area while I wait for my superiors to call back with their decision."  
  
Tsunami glared at the annoying Einherjar who had been giving  
her a hard time for the past hour and a half, hoping that he would be   
cowed by the threat of divine wrath.* She did not travel all the way to   
Asgard just so a devastatingly handsome spirit whose sword radiated an   
impressive amount of energy could smile at her, scratch his head in   
defeat, then say that he simply could not let her in.  
  
She decided that enough was enough. After taking a deep breath  
to calm herself, she raised a delicate finger to point it at his   
handsome visage and rattled off a string of expletives so unmentionable   
that a few strands of his beautiful, flowing blonde hair actually fell   
out of place at the sheer power of the words. She was about to make a   
few unkind comments about the female side of his ancestry when she felt   
someone tapping on her shoulder.   
  
She whirled around at the unexpected contact and came face to   
face with the tip of a long samurai sword. It was held by a handsome,  
red-haired man who had an interesting, cross-shaped scar on his left  
cheek. Closer inspection revealed that it was actually composed of  
two separate scars, one on top of the other. He was wearing ceremonial  
samurai garb, and a small name tag pinned onto the upper left area of  
his chest identified him as 'Kenny-chan'.  
  
"Excuse me, Ma'am, you're making a scene. Asgard is strictly a   
'no-swearing' zone. Please sit at the waiting area while we sort out  
whatever it is that's bothering you."  
  
The cute swordsman lowered his sword after reciting his   
obviously memorized spiel, but remained in front of her. Was he waiting   
for her to dignify his silly complaints with an apology? Well, if he   
was under the impression that the goddess of Jurai would ever apologize   
to a mere Einherjar, he was in for a surprise.   
  
The blue-haired goddess of Jurai idly wondered how he had been  
accepted as an Einherjar in the first place. She could tell that he was  
trying very hard to look intimidating, but failing miserably. The poor  
fool didn't even know how to hold his sword correctly. She might not  
have been an expert at handling bladed weapons, but she was pretty sure  
that the flat side of the blade was not the one you wanted to fight  
your opponent with. It would have made for very messy decapitations.  
  
He was cute, though, in a feminine sort of way. Tsunami could  
easily imagine some innocent young Valkyrie swept off her feet by this  
man's bishonen good looks.  
  
Tsunami decided to be civil for now. These beautiful men were  
nothing but pawns of Odin, and it wouldn't be fair to erase them from  
existence just because some idiot got the date of her appointment  
wrong. Besides, throwing her weight around hadn't gotten her anywhere.  
Perhaps a diplomatic approach would be more successful.  
  
"I understand, but I have to get in to pick up some very   
important files and I've been waiting here for over an hour. I don't   
understand why it's taking so long to clear this up."  
  
Kenny led her to the waiting area and handed her a magazine  
with some pretty, half-naked nymphs on the cover. He smiled sincerely  
at her, and drew a deep breath to recite yet another practiced speech.  
  
"Don't worry, Miss Tsunami, Mr. Gabriev has already called  
the main office and explained your situation. I'm sure that Ms. Peorth   
is already working out a solution for your problem even as we speak."  
  
Seeing that there wasn't much else she could do, Tsunami   
settled down in her chair and started reading the magazine Kenny had  
given her.  
  
*****  
  
"Think about it, Yusuke. Spirit detectives are called upon to   
participate in life-threatening operations all the time. As an   
Einherjar, you would hardly have to do anything until Ragnarok."  
  
Yusuke tried to force his mind to work, the gorgeous body of  
the goddess sitting in front of him making any coherent thought all but  
impossible. He had come here only to say that he wasn't interested in  
her job offer, but Peorth was proving to be a very tough woman to say  
no to. Aside from being a smooth talker and an intelligent woman, she  
had also successfully maneuvered into a position of power over him in  
their conversation.  
  
"I'm not really sure about quitting my old job, Ms. Peorth. I   
_like_ saving the world and meeting stronger opponents to fight.   
Besides, Koenma _did_ give me a second chance at life. I'm sure he  
wouldn't let me quit just like that."  
  
Peorth shifted in her seat, trying to get more comfortable.  
Finally, Yusuke's defenses were beginning to wear down. If she could  
only keep the pressure up, he would surely sign on as Asgard's newest  
Einherjar.   
  
"Don't worry about Koenma, Yusuke. Asgard would be happy to  
handle your account as soon as you join us. It's one of the benefits   
you'll enjoy as an Einherjar. As for saving the world, what do you   
think Einherjar are for? You'll get to spend your time training with   
some of the most powerful warriors who have ever walked Midgard in   
preparation for Ragnarok. You can't beat competition like that!"  
  
Yusuke mulled Peorth's offer in his mind. It was starting to   
sound very tempting indeed to the young spirit detective, but he still   
had one more concern about the whole thing.  
  
"What about my mom? Koenma would still handle her account,   
right?"  
  
Peorth waved her hand dismissively and leaned towards Yusuke  
before answering.  
  
"That's not an issue, Yusuke. Asgard will handle the accounts   
of your whole family, if you want. I myself will handle the account  
transfers. You have nothing to worry about as far as Koenma is   
concerned, Yusuke. Here, why don't you look at contract we've drawn up   
for you? All you have to do is sign it and I'll take care of the rest."  
  
Yusuke skimmed through the slim folder Peorth handed to him.   
It contained the contract he would have to sign in order to become a   
part of Asgard's elite force of warriors. The fine print seemed to be  
in order, and the list of benefits he'd enjoy was very impressive. It   
amazed him how they had managed to find out and include all the perks   
he wanted in a job. Peorth certainly seemed like a woman who liked to   
keep on top of things.  
  
"You'll handle everything, right? I don't have to do anything  
else after I sign this?"  
  
Peorth smiled cutely at Yusuke. He was making this so easy for  
her. "Of course. You don't have to worry about a thing. If you sign the  
contract right now, I can get to work on it immediately."  
  
The nervous spirit detective's hand trembled as he signed his  
name on the dotted line. He couldn't help but feel that he was being  
manipulated somehow, but he couldn't find any clause in his contract  
that might be used against him. He decided that he was being paranoid.  
She was a goddess! Everyone knew megami were good guys.  
  
As soon as Yusuke finished signing, Peorth got up from his lap  
and carefully placed the contract inside the top drawer of her desk.  
She turned back towards her newest employee and smiled at him once  
more.  
  
"Welcome to Asgard, Yusuke. I'm sure you'll enjoy working for  
us. I'll call you as soon as the necessary arrangements have been made  
so you can begin as soon as possible."  
  
She showed the young man out of her office before coming back to  
her desk and picking up the contract he had signed. She didn't  
particularly like having to do the job of human resources, but it was  
especially important that they get Yusuke. She grinned as she read the  
clause that allowed Asgard to handle the accounts of Yusuke's family as  
one of his benefits. She wondered how long it would take him to figure  
out that he had just given her access to Raizen's account as well.  
  
She pressed the button on her secretary's buzzer and sat down  
on her chair, waiting. A few seconds later, a pretty young woman with  
curly red hair and glasses entered her office. She was carrying a  
thick notebook and was visibly agitated. Peorth shook her head when  
the girl dropped her notebook onto the ground, various pieces of paper  
falling out of it. She struggled to pick them all up, then dropped  
them all over again. She finally succeeded in stuffing the papers into  
her notebook and tucking it under her arm before facing her employer.  
  
"Did you need anything, Ms. Peorth?"  
  
Peorth tried to ignore the small bits of paper flying from the  
notebook as she spoke. "Did anyone call while I was with Mr. Urameshi?"  
  
Her secretary fumbled around with the notebook, causing more  
bits of paper to fall to the floor in the process. She finally managed  
to find the page she was looking for and read it before answering.  
  
"Only one, Ms. Peorth. Mr. Gourry called from security and said  
that Ms. Tsunami was waiting for clearance to enter."  
  
Peorth frowned as she heard the name of Jurai's most powerful  
goddess. It was Tsunami's fault that she had to go after Yusuke in the  
first place. Asgard had been well-prepared for Ragnarok until it lost  
the Masaki account to Jurai. There was no getting out of this meeting,  
however, so she got up and started walking out of her office.  
  
"Thanks, I'll take it from here. If anyone else calls, tell   
them I'm in the middle of something important."  
  
******  
  
"Greetings, Tsunami. Have you been waiting long?"  
  
Tsunami was in the middle of a riveting article about how a  
goddess could relieve menstrual cramps when she heard Peorth's voice.   
She had been waiting for over two hours by now and was impatient to get   
her business in Asgard over with so she could go back to Jurai.  
  
"Yes I have, actually, but it does not matter now. I would like  
to pick up the files for the Masaki account so I can be on my way. I've  
wasted enough time here as it is."  
  
Peorth nodded at her, an obviously fake smile adorning her   
face. "Certainly. Please follow me."  
  
Tsunami followed Peorth through a maze of hallways and into  
a large office, which she assumed was Peorth's. She sat down on the  
comfortable chair in front of the desk while Peorth rummaged through  
the desk's drawers. The brown-haired goddess finally retrieved a thick   
stack of papers from the top drawer and placed it in front of her. She   
raised an inquiring eyebrow at Peorth, who handed her a pen.  
  
"The files are ready for transfer, but you'll need to fill out  
these forms before I can release them."  
  
Tsunami's right hand blurred with speed as she filled out the   
numerous forms. She frowned at Peorth, who wore a self-satisfied smirk   
as she watched.  
  
"You're determined to make this as hard for me as you possibly   
can, aren't you?"  
  
Peorth shrugged. "I have no idea what you're talking about."  
  
Tsunami shook her head. "I can't believe you're still sore  
about this, Peorth. Tenchi signed our contract of his own free will!"  
  
Peorth glared at her. "Of course he did. I would too if someone  
offered me a deal that involved having six wives in addition to the  
throne of one of the most powerful kingdoms in the galaxy!"  
  
Tsunami smiled. "It's not my fault our offer was so much better  
than anything you could come up with. Here, all finished."  
  
Peorth took the stack of forms, dumped them into her desk's  
bottom drawer, and retrieved a small compact disc from inside it. She  
held it out for Tsunami to take.  
  
"It's all there. Is there anything else I can do for you while  
you're here?"  
  
Tsunami took the disc and hid it somewhere in the folds of her  
dress. "Actually, I was hoping to visit Belldandy while I was here. We  
haven't seen each other since--"  
  
Just then, both goddesses heard a low rumbling sound coming  
from outside. Peorth's secretary burst into the room, pieces of paper  
falling to the floor from her notebook.  
  
"Ms. Lina and Ms. Jelanda are fighting again! The training   
area's force fields won't be able to contain them much longer. Someone  
has to stop them!"  
  
Peorth rolled her eyes. "Lina and Jelanda? I thought they   
already agreed that Arngrim and Gourry's swords were of equal length!"   
  
The nervous redhead wrung her hands in frustration as she  
replied. "They're not fighting about that anymore. Apparently, Ms.   
Jelanda made a comment about her chest being ten thousand times more  
developed than Ms. Lina's--"  
  
"Say no more, I'll get right on it." Peorth turned back  
towards her Juraian guest.  
  
"My apologies, Tsunami, but I'm afraid I must attend to this   
matter right away. I won't be able to escort you. Belldandy's office is   
in the west wing at room 507, two doors down from Thor. She's working   
on a personal project with Skuld."  
  
Another rumbling sound was heard as Peorth exited her office,  
leaving Tsunami alone with the secretary, who was busy picking up bits   
of paper from the floor. She sighed loudly as she left Peorth's office  
and started walking towards the west wing.   
  
*****  
  
"Are you sure this is where you live, Mako-chan?"  
  
Makoto smiled upon hearing Ranma call her with such a familiar  
name. The syllables seemed to roll off his tongue naturally, like he   
had always been meant to refer to her that way. It was as if for him to  
call her by any other name would be foreign and unnatural. Yes, this  
was how it was supposed to be. Indeed, how it would _always_ be from  
this day onward.  
  
"Of course I'm sure, Ranma. I've lived in this apartment since   
I first came to Juuban. Why do you ask?"  
  
Ranma spared a glance at the familiar hallway where he and  
Makoto were standing. It truly was a small world, after all. He smiled  
at her and chuckled before answering.  
  
"Would you believe that I live right next door?"  
  
*****  
  
"We're very sorry, Master! Please spare our lives!"  
  
Genma Saotome and Soun Tendo groveled pathetically in front  
of Happosai, the old man's battle aura flaring red around him. Akane   
was sleeping over at a friend's house and Nabiki had locked herself in   
her room for the time being. Kasumi was happily preparing tonight's   
dinner in the kitchen with Mrs. Saotome. If Happosai were to obliterate   
them into nothingness right now with one of his powerful techniques, it   
would probably be years before anyone noticed they were gone. Needless   
to say, they were very afraid.  
  
"Where is Ranma?"  
  
Happosai glared threateningly at the men in front of him, his  
eyes becoming slits as he frowned at the incompetent lumps of matter  
that his formerly useful pupils had become. All they had to do was keep  
Ranma around, and they couldn't even get _that_ right. Didn't they  
know that the density of beautiful women in an area rose and fell with  
the presence of Ranma Saotome? It wasn't just the gorgeous females  
that the boy seemed to attract, it was also the fact that even the most  
homely females strived to look their best when he was around.   
  
Of course, all those beautiful women compressed into a small  
area translated into a veritable feast of lacy underthings for him to  
steal. Yes, Genma and Soun had made a big mistake when they allowed  
Ranma to slip through their grasp.  
  
"He's... he's in Juuban, Master! A representative from the   
Ministry of Education came and--"  
  
Happosai silenced Soun with a wave of his hand and thought  
about what he had just heard. Why would Ranma allow himself to be  
carried off to another place when there were already so many panties  
and brassieres right here in Nerima? He frowned as he wondered what   
could have seduced a healthy, virile young man like Ranma into  
leaving an area filled with pretty young girls, all of whom were  
practically throwing themselves at him.  
  
Suddenly, it came to him.  
  
If his memory served him right, which of course it always did,   
Juuban was home to the Sailor Senshi. Of all the beautiful women in  
the world, theirs were the only sets of lingerie that consistently   
eluded him despite his best efforts. Not even Nabiki's panties were as   
difficult to get to. The main problem he had encountered during his  
earlier attempts at thievery was that he couldn't find them at all. He   
had already gone through all the houses in Juuban without finding even  
a trace of them. It was like they had secret identities or something.   
Ranma must have found out where they hung their laundry and decided to   
steal all of their underwear for himself! It was the only explanation  
that made sense!  
  
Happosai's face broke into a grin as a plan formed in his  
mind. Perhaps Ranma's untimely departure would turn out to be a good  
thing after all.  
  
*****  
  
Tsunami made her way towards the sleeping form of Belldandy,  
careful not to make a sound. Her friend had apparently spent too much  
time working and was now unconscious on her desk. She turned off  
Belldandy's computer terminal, which was beeping loudly and flashing  
red. It had obviously finished whatever task Belldandy had set for  
it, but whatever work she was doing on it could wait until she was  
rested. Belldandy was prone to working herself to exhaustion, and   
Tsunami felt that she should get her sleep before working any further.  
How time-sensitive could her personal project be, anyway?  
  
Tsunami waved her hand, causing a comfortable bed to appear  
in the middle of Belldandy's office. Another wave teleported Belldandy  
under the covers, her work clothes replaced with a cute set of pajamas  
that had a cabbit design printed on them. As a final touch, she cast a  
spell on the sleeping goddess that would keep her from awakening until   
she had completely recharged herself.  
  
Tsunami left the room and headed out of Asgard, happy that she  
had been able to do something nice for Belldandy while visiting.  
  
*****  
  
"Mako-chan, are you okay? Is this some kind of joke? Mako-chan,  
say something!"  
  
Ranma shook the unconscious form of Makoto hard as he attempted  
to wake her up. While he had expected a strong reaction from her at his  
revelation that he lived in the adjoining apartment, he hadn't expected   
her to actually _faint_.  
  
'At least she's breathing normally, and her pulse is strong.'  
  
He quickly retrieved a small pin from inside his pocket, and  
used it to pick the lock on Makoto's door. After opening the door wide,  
he lifted Makoto's body from the floor and brought her to the living  
room. Luckily, all the apartments in the building were similar to each  
other so he could easily find his way around her home. After laying her  
down on the sofa, he brought in the groceries he had left outside when  
he carried her.   
  
When he finally got back to Makoto's prone form, Ranma realized   
that he had a big problem on his hands.  
  
While he had dealt with unconscious women before, they had   
always been gifted with the superior strength and physical conditioning  
that came with martial arts training. Even Akane, weak as she was, had  
a body that could withstand tremendous amounts of punishment before  
breaking down. How was he supposed to help a normal girl like Makoto,  
who would probably sustain serious injury from something as trivial as  
being thrown through a concrete wall? He started thinking back to the   
first-aid lesson the school nurse had given at his physical education  
class a few months ago....  
  
*****  
  
Ranma sat at the bleachers surrounding the basketball court,  
waiting for the gym teacher to make her appearance. She was very late  
today, but he wasn't worried. Ms. Mayumi Hachiya was notorious for   
always being late to class, and nobody really expected her to arrive  
on time. He liked her, though, since she was very nice to him and  
lenient with her students.  
  
After a few minutes, a short blonde haired woman wearing a  
white coat and a stethoscope around her neck entered the gym and made  
her way to the front of the class. He recognized her as the new  
school nurse. She had only arrived three weeks ago, and they had only  
met once. He couldn't remember her name, but he recalled that she had  
been very friendly while treating his injuries. She cleared her throat  
loudly to attract the attention of everyone, then began speaking.  
  
"Hello, everyone. I am Ms. Yuzuriha Mizuki and I'm the new  
school nurse. I've only recently transferred to Furinkan High, so most  
of you probably don't know me yet. I can act as student counselor   
as well, so please don't hesitate to come to my office if you need to   
talk about anything. I'll be replacing Ms. Hachiya for today to give  
you some lessons that I think you'll find useful in the future.  
  
"The purpose of this visit is to teach all of you some basic   
first aid techniques. I've only been here for a few weeks, but I've   
already noticed that Furinkan seems to have a very high number of  
students getting hurt every day than any other school I've been to  
before. That said, I thought it would be prudent to go through all  
the classes so that you students know what to do in case there's an  
emergency."  
  
Ranma listened half-heartedly as Ms. Mizuki went through the  
preliminaries of her lecture. He had already learned everything he  
needed to know about first aid during his ten year training journey,  
and this would probably just be a rehash of things he was already  
familiar with. He decided to just look straight ahead and pretend to  
be listening.   
  
He was doing exactly that when he suddenly noticed that the  
whole class was looking at him and Ms. Mizuki was motioning for him  
to come to the front. Hiroshi and Daisuke were snickering, as was  
the rest of the class.   
  
He smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head before  
complying. She had probably caught him and was going to make him do  
exercises as punishment. The fact that she made him lie down on a mat  
as soon as he got to the front only confirmed his suspicions. He lay  
down and waited while she began speaking to the class again.  
  
"As I was saying, a person may pass out because of a lack of  
oxygen going into his brain. This may occur because of high altitudes,  
a tight collar, or any other thing that might restrict breathing. If  
you encounter an unconscious individual who is not breathing and you  
can see no apparent reasons for his condition, this is probably what  
happened. In this situation, you must administer mouth to mouth  
resuscitation. I know most of you have probably already seen this done  
on television, but it's not as easy as it looks. It must be performed  
correctly, or you might do more harm than good to your patient. I will  
now demonstrate the correct procedure, and Mr. Saotome will be assisting  
me."  
  
At that, the whole class erupted into a frenzy of whoops and  
catcalls. Ranma felt himself blush bright red while Ms. Mizuki knelt  
beside him and whispered in his ear.  
  
"Don't worry, Ranma, I know what I'm doing. This will be over  
before you know it."  
  
Ranma felt better at her words, and he allowed himself to relax  
as he closed his eyes and listened. Ms. Mizuki was speaking again.  
  
"The first thing you should do is remove or loosen anything  
that might be restricting the subject's breathing. Ranma is wearing  
a t-shirt right now, so there's no need to do that anymore. The  
next step is to secure the airway by tilting the subject's head  
backwards and lifting his chin."  
  
Ranma felt Ms. Mizuki performing the steps as she explained  
them, and soon she was holding his head tilted backwards as she  
spoke.  
  
"You must check for breathing within three to five seconds by  
placing an ear over the subject's mouth and watching to see if his  
chest rises and falls. You should also listen for sounds of breathing  
and feel for breath on your cheek. If the subject resumes breathing  
at any time during the procedure, you must keep the airway open and  
monitor the subject. If he continues to breathe, transport him to  
medical aid. Otherwise, start giving him breaths through his mouth.  
If his chest rises, continue the procedure until he starts breathing  
again. Otherwise, you need to give him abdominal or chest thrusts."  
  
Ranma felt his breath hitting Ms. Mizuki's cheek while she held  
her ear above his head, and braced himself for what was to come. He  
heard Ms. Mizuki speak one last time.  
  
"I will now demonstrate the actual mouth to mouth action. Please  
watch carefully."  
  
Ranma was pleased to find that the procedure was actually quite  
pleasant. Ms. Mizuki's lips were soft and warm and felt wonderful on  
his mouth. He didn't expect the procedure to involve quite so much  
tongue, but it wasn't really too bad. He opened his eyes again and  
raised himself to a sitting position when he felt Ms. Mizuki move away  
from him, and saw that she was flushed and breathing rapidly. She  
smiled once again as she spoke to the class.  
  
"Well... I wasn't able to do it _exactly_ as it was supposed to  
be done, but Ran- er... Mr. Saotome wasn't actually hurt. Do you have  
any questions you'd like to ask before I move on?"  
  
There was a slight commotion near the back of the students,  
then Hikaru Gosunkugi pushed himself to the front and cleared his  
throat.  
  
"Excuse me, but I was at the back and I wasn't able to see the  
demonstration at all."  
  
Ranma saw Ms. Mizuki grin and shake her head as she pushed him  
back down onto the mat.  
  
"That's too bad, Mr. Gosunkugi. I guess I'll just have to do the  
whole thing over again from the top."  
  
*****  
  
Ranma approached Makoto nervously, wondering what to do. He should  
probably start by undoing the top buttons her blouse, since they seemed  
to be restricting her breathing.  
  
He extended a trembling hand towards her blouse, hoping that he  
was doing the right thing. He ran a finger lightly along the collar of   
her blouse, trying to figure out if it was indeed to tight. He carefully  
started undoing the top button of her blouse, taking care not to look at  
what he was doing. He wasn't some kind of pervert that would take advantage  
of an unconscious girl, after all. That kind of thing was gross, and  
probably only happened in mecha anime anyway. Of course, the fact that he  
wasn't looking meant that he had to do most of the work by feel alone,  
which he wasn't entirely comfortable with either.   
  
Resigning himself to his task, he just looked at Makoto's face   
while he worked, hoping that she would wake up and spare him the   
ordeal of having to go through the next steps in the first aid   
process.   
  
Why couldn't everyone be as strong as Shampoo or Ukyo anyway?  
  
He was about halfway done when Makoto suddenly moaned and   
opened her eyes. They stared at each other for a few moments, then   
the searing pain started.  
  
*****  
  
Rei wasn't so sure that Ami's idea was as good as it sounded.   
  
Usagi and the others had left a few minutes ago, after  
explaining Ami's plan to her in detail and making great progress in  
their ultimate goal of eating her out of house and home. Although Ami's   
idea made sense to her on an intellectual level, she couldn't help but   
feel uneasy about the whole thing. She had a feeling that the plan   
would backfire horribly on them, but she could not figure out how. She   
just had a bad feeling about it.  
  
She went to her room, took off the school uniform she hadn't   
had a chance to change out of, and put on her ceremonial shrine maiden   
outfit. She went out of her room and made her way towards the temple.  
  
She needed to do a fire reading.  
  
*****  
  
"Ranma, are you okay? I'm so sorry about this, I had no idea  
it was you! It's just that you startled me and... I had it in my  
pocket... and you were acting like... I'm so sorry! Can you still see?   
Oh god, please don't hate me! Don't you think it would be better if  
you used _cold_ water for that?"  
  
Ranma heard Makoto's panicked cries clearly, but failed to  
understand any of them. There was only one thing on his mind, and it  
was the pain. The awful, searing, burning pain that could only have  
come from one thing.  
  
'Damn pepper spray....'  
  
Ranma marveled at the simplicity of it. How a martial artist  
like himself, who could withstand a building collapse, would be brought  
to his knees by a device designed to ward off petty criminals. Even  
now, after he had run hot water over his face, he could still feel the  
liquid fire washing over his features and causing him to wince every  
now and then as the water slowly washed the pain away. He shuddered at  
the thought of what would have happened if he hadn't had the presence  
of mind to close his eyes.  
  
Finally, after a few more minutes, the pain subsided. He  
allowed Makoto to lead him back to the couch, where he sat down and  
closed his eyes. It would take his body a few more minutes to recover  
from the attack, and he didn't feel like doing much of anything right  
now. He was about to drift off to sleep when he heard a sound coming   
from his somewhere to his left.  
  
"I'm sorry, Ranma. Please don't hate me."  
  
Ranma opened his eyes and turned to the sobbing girl sitting  
next to him. His heart immediately melted when he saw how the tears  
flowed freely from her eyes, sliding down her cheeks and falling down  
her neck into the deep valley between her breasts, which were heaving  
up and down along with the movements of her chest.  
  
"It's okay, Mako-chan. I don't hate you."  
  
A glimmer of hope appeared in Makoto's eyes and she smiled  
weakly at Ranma. Was it true? Did she hear him right?  
  
"You... don't hate me?"  
  
Ranma smiled at her. "Of course not! I've been through a lot  
of worse things than this, and I know you didn't mean it anyway. It  
doesn't even hurt anymore, see?"  
  
Makoto looked at his face, which had been swollen and red a  
few minutes ago. Sure enough, there wasn't a trace of irritation  
remaining on his skin. His recovery rate truly was nothing short of  
amazing.  
  
"Wow, Ranma, that's incredible! How'd you do it?"  
  
Ranma smiled at Makoto, proud of how his body could heal at  
a rate that many doctors would have deemed impossible. "It's nothing,   
really. Comes with being a world-class martial artist like myself, I   
guess. I have some friends who can heal pretty fast too, but not as   
fast as me. It kinda makes sense, when you think about it, since I'm   
the best-- what are you doing?"  
  
Makoto ran a finger gently along Ranma's right cheek, awed by   
his flawless, smooth skin. She wondered absently if the same healing  
ability that allowed him to quickly recover from injury was also  
responsible for his impossibly clear skin. If Ami could figure out how  
the mechanism worked and duplicate it in an ointment or something,  
she'd never have to use medicated strips again!  
  
It was a good ten seconds before she realized exactly what she   
was doing, and that Ranma had realized it as well. She felt herself  
blush from the top of her head to the tips of her toes and her hand  
recoiled with the speed of a frightened rabbit. If there was ever a  
time when she felt more embarrassed than she did now, she couldn't  
remember it.  
  
"Oh my god... I'm... I'm so embarrassed!"  
  
Ranma watched with amusement as Makoto covered her face in her  
hands and turned away to hide her embarrassment. The way she did it  
made her look so... so cute! He reached an arm out to her and tapped  
on her shoulder, then suppressed a giggle when she flinched at the  
contact. He really should say something to calm her down.  
  
"Hey, don't worry about it. We'll just pretend it never  
happened, okay? You don't even have to explain it to me. See, I've  
forgotten already! I'm going to leave now and have dinner. We can  
talk again tomorrow, okay?"  
  
Seeing that Makoto wasn't making a move to reply, Ranma got  
up to leave the apartment. It was getting way too hot in it anyway. He  
was about to start walking away when he felt a hand gripping his arm  
and pulling him back down to the couch. He turned around and found  
Makoto staring intently at him.  
  
"Don't go, Ranma. Please stay... for dinner."  
  
Ranma never stood a chance against the puppy-dog eyes that  
now adorned Makoto's face. Coupled with the offer of free food, there  
really was no other way he could have replied to her.  
  
"Uh... sure, Mako-chan."  
  
*****  
  
Nabiki sat quietly behind her desk, scheming.  
  
Akane had failed miserably in her task, as far as Nabiki was  
concerned. All her sister had to do to keep Ranma around was stick to  
a carefully crafted script, and she couldn't even do that.   
  
Nabiki simply could not understand what was so bad about living   
a lie for a few weeks. It was for the greater good, anyway, and who's   
to say Akane wouldn't end up enjoying her new personality? If that were   
to happen, the lie would become truth and all would be well.  
  
Unfortunately, that would never come to be.  
  
Her sister had adamantly refused to follow her plan when she  
approached her that afternoon. In fact, her little sister was so upset   
about the whole thing that she made plans to spend the night someplace   
else. She would have to find someone else who could bring Ranma back  
to Nerima, but who?  
  
Ukyo and Shampoo were pretty good bets, but she doubted that   
they'd be interested in bringing Ranma back. If anything, they'd   
probably be overjoyed that Ranma was now spending most of his time away   
from Akane. The two of them would have much higher chances of nabbing   
Ranma if he was to stay in Juuban, where they could go and visit   
anytime they wanted. After all, the two of them weren't committed to   
school the way Akane was.  
  
Mrs. Saotome was no good, since that representative the   
Ministry of Education sent succeeded in thoroughly convincing her that   
studying in Juuban would be best for Ranma. As for her dad and Mr.   
Saotome, they had already proven themselves to be completely inept at   
manipulation.  
  
Of course, she could try and bring him back herself, but she   
doubted that she would succeed. Her brief stint as a fiancee had ended   
in disaster, and Ranma would probably be suspicious of any suggestions   
or ideas coming from her. That left only one person in Nerima who had   
the power to bring Ranma back. She just hoped that person would agree  
to do it.  
  
Nabiki put a sunny smile on her face as she left her room and  
headed for the kitchen.  
  
*****  
  
Makoto Kino was the happiest girl in the universe.  
  
Ranma wasn't mad at her! After everything she'd done to him, he   
wasn't even annoyed at her. He had even agreed to stay over for dinner!   
On top of all that, he was living right next door! He even told her   
that he would be going to Juuban High! She could almost see it now, the  
two of them walking to school together while all the other girls looked  
on enviously.... It almost seemed as if the gods themselves were   
working to set the two of them up.  
  
She brought a semi-transparent nighty out from her closet and  
held it up in front of her as she stood in front of her mirror. It was  
made of silk, the material feeling soft and cool against her skin. The  
emerald-green fabric accented her feminine curves nicely, and left   
little to the imagination. It was the sexiest, most expensive piece of   
clothing she owned, and she had been saving it for a special occasion.  
Having Ranma to herself inside her own apartment was about as special  
as occasions got, and it would surely get his attention.  
  
On the other hand, it wouldn't be very practical to wear while   
cooking, and she would look absolutely stupid eating in it. It didn't  
even match her apron! She contemplated wearing the apron and nothing  
else for a few moments, but quickly quashed the idea. She wanted Ranma  
to think of her as pure and virginal, not wanton and kinky.  
  
She dropped the nighty onto her bed and looked around in her  
closet for something more appropriate.  
  
*****  
  
Ranma flipped to the next page of the magazine he had found in  
Makoto's living room, engrossed in an article about how to take care  
of oily skin. He had already read a number of articles about such   
interesting topics as how idol singers managed to look the way they  
did and why men were so stupid all the time.  
  
He had also garnered a perfect score on a quiz to see if he  
would make a perfect girlfriend, but he preferred not to think about  
that right now.  
  
The important thing was that he was starving, and Makoto had  
promised to cook him a dinner fit for a king! There was only one thing  
better than a meal, and that was a _free_ meal. Makoto had promised him  
a free meal, and life just didn't get any better than this.  
  
He was almost done with the article when he felt two female  
hands cover his eyes.  
  
"Guess who!"  
  
Even for someone like Ranma, who wasn't exactly the most  
perceptive individual in the world, this was pretty silly. He and  
Makoto were the only ones in the apartment, severely narrowing down  
the list of people who could have been the one behind him right now.  
Still, he couldn't help but notice that her feather light touch felt   
incredibly nice, and he wasn't exactly in a hurry to have her let go.   
  
It was amazing that he hadn't noticed when she was holding  
onto him while he was washing the pepper out at the sink earlier, but   
her hands were incredibly soft and smooth. They caressed him with a   
tenderness that matched even that of his own mother. He decided that  
he must have missed it because of the pain from the pepper spray.  
  
A smile formed in his face as he allowed himself to savor the  
exquisite heaven that was Makoto Kino's touch. For some reason, he  
couldn't bear the thought of her hands ever letting go of him.  
  
"Mako-chan, that's so nice... don't stop."  
  
Ranma heard a giggle from behind him, followed by a deep,   
husky, sensuous voice. "Guess again, Ranchan."  
  
Ranma immediately pulled the hands from his eyes and whirled  
around at the sound of the voice. It was definitely not Makoto's. His  
eyes went wide as he took in the beautiful smile, the gorgeous eyes,  
the lustrous blue-green hair, and the cute little bat wings at the  
top of his companion's head. She smiled mischievously and winked at  
him, sending shivers up his spine.   
  
"Hey, lover, miss me?"  
  
*****  
  
* According to Norse mythology, Einherjar are heroes that have died  
in battle. They go to Valhalla and train there to prepare for the  
battle of Ragnarok. They fight each other every day until they have  
eviscerated one another, and their wounds heal every night while  
they feast with Odin. The Einherjar in my fic are from various anime  
series as well as the game, Valkyrie Profile. Needless to say, they  
do a lot more here than fight every day. It's an altaverse of sorts,  
after all.  
  
*****  
  
Author's notes:  
  
Well, chapter 12 is finally done. I've been really busy with my  
thesis lately, but I managed to finish it. Somehow, in between typing  
the thesis document, beating Valkyrie Profile, and watching all the  
remaining episodes of Nadesico, I managed to find the time to write  
the latest chapter of ATFWH down. What do you guys think of it so far?  
I've already got the thing planned out to the end, but I'd still like  
to hear things like plot suggestions and stuff.  
  
I would like to thank Griever, Tony Loco, Dylan Cole, Tracy  
Poff, Fred Voeltner, Sebastian Rynders, Sam Vilsmeier, Shade, Farmer,  
Steffan, Groo, Chester, Kevin Henry, Egan Mandreck, Seaver, Grum,  
Micel Komphasouk, Dark Knight, Sadist, and Vex for all the help they  
have given me for this chapter.  
  
Remember, fan mail gets me writing better than anything else!  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	15. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: There are two kinds of people in this world; those who own  
the characters in the following story, and those who don't. Count me in  
among those who don't.  
  
Warning: Prolonged exposure to pop music may result in loss of  
manliness.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keiichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 13  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
"Good evening, Nabiki. Dinner isn't ready yet, so why don't  
you wait in your room until I call you?"  
  
Kasumi continued stirring the soup she was cooking, humming a  
simple tune while she watched the ingredients slowly cooking. Nabiki   
wondered to herself for the millionth time what it was about cooking  
that other girls found so fascinating. She had taken the time to learn  
how to cook a few dishes, of course, but the activity always bored her  
to tears. Kasumi, on the other hand, seemed perfectly content to spend  
hour after hour preparing food. She did not come here to learn how to  
appreciate cooking, however, so she let the thought go. She walked up  
to the side of the stove and watched Kasumi stir the soup while she  
came up with a suitable way to bring Ranma up in conversation.  
  
"Ranma used to do the same thing, you know."  
  
Nabiki was startled out of her thoughts by Kasumi's words. She   
raised an inquiring eyebrow at her older sister and crossed her arms in  
front of herself.  
  
"What do you mean, Kasumi?"  
  
Kasumi smiled as she kept stirring. The smell of the soup was  
starting to make Nabiki's mouth water.  
  
"He used to stand right there and watch me while I cooked   
dinner. Sometimes, he'd even help me with it. He'd tell me about his  
day, and I would tell him about mine. It was very enjoyable. I kind  
of miss him, actually. It's a good thing you came here to see me."  
  
Nabiki frowned while she listened to her older sister's words.  
She had known about Ranma's frequent visits to the kitchen, of course,  
but she had no idea how he spent his time there. She had assumed that  
he just gorged himself on whatever food Kasumi had already finished  
cooking. She would have to look into this new development later. For  
now, she had more pressing matters to attend to. Kasumi had done her  
a favor by bringing Ranma up. Now was her chance to execute her plan.  
She smacked her fist against her palm, as though she had just thought  
of something important.  
  
"You know, maybe you should go down to Juuban and try to bring  
Ranma back to us! That way, you wouldn't be so lonely anymore. Akane's  
been missing him a lot anyway. You saw how she looked when she said  
she'd be spending the night at Yuka's place. Don't you think it's a  
great idea?"  
  
Nabiki smiled hopefully at Kasumi, confident that her plan  
was going to work. Ranma would never be able to deny a request from  
Kasumi.  
  
"Actually, I think it's a horrible idea. Ranma rarely gets a  
chance to concentrate on his studies. We shouldn't deny him this  
opportunity for our own selfish reasons."  
  
Nabiki's jaw fell open upon hearing Kasumi's statement. She  
had not expected this. She scrambled to come up with a reply.  
  
"Selfish reasons? Kasumi, I only had Ranma's own interests in  
mind when I... that is, I only wanted to...."  
  
Kasumi shot her a dirty look, causing Nabiki to trail off  
until she had completely stopped talking.   
  
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to, Nabiki. I know  
you've been relying on Ranma to make a little bit of extra money,  
but you really should consider his well being instead of yours."  
  
Nabiki shook her head as she listened. Her sister was proving  
to be much more difficult to manipulate than she expected.  
  
"Kasumi, I don't think you're looking at this the right way.  
Ranma is--"  
  
"Ranma is the only heir to the Saotome School of Anything Goes  
Martial Arts. If his engagement to Akane doesn't work out, I will have  
to marry him myself. To tell you the truth, Nabiki, I'd rather marry a  
man who actually managed to finish high school."  
  
Nabiki breathed deeply and mentally counted from one to ten.  
After opening her eyes, she noted that she was still as annoyed as  
when she started. Kasumi was acting very differently from what she had   
expected, and that fact annoyed her more than anything else.  
  
"That's why you need to bring Ranma back here! If he stays in  
Juuban then his relationship with Akane is doomed. If you can bring him   
back to Nerima, you won't have to marry him at all."  
  
It was Kasumi's turn to shake her head this time. She turned  
off the stove's flame and reached for a bowl to put the soup in while  
she replied to her sister.  
  
"Akane is a nice girl, but she's a violent maniac. She needs a  
man who likes being beaten half to death. Ranma wants a girl who'll  
stay at home to do the chores and take care of the children while he   
goes off doing men's work. Their relationship was doomed before it  
even began."  
  
Nabiki took another deep breath to calm herself. She would not  
lose this argument. Too much was on the line. Kasumi may have shown a  
lot more intelligence than she planned for, but she was still Nabiki  
Tendo. Nabiki Tendo did not lose arguments.  
  
"Even if Ranma and Akane were to split up, what makes you so  
sure _you'll_ be the one to marry him? He's free to choose from the two  
of us, you know."  
  
Kasumi just looked at her and smiled. "Do you really believe  
Ranma will pick you over me, Nabiki-chan?"  
  
*****  
  
"Good night, Hotaru. Sweet dreams."  
  
Haruka smiled warmly at the young girl on whom she had just  
spent more money on than she'd care to think of and thanked her lucky   
stars that it was finally over. Her bank account would be feeling the   
effects of the past afternoon for many months to come.  
  
After tucking Hotaru into bed and checking to make sure that  
the windows were all closed, Haruka quietly crept out of the room and   
closed the door. She made her way over to the bedroom she shared with  
Michiru and pushed the door open with a little more force than she  
normally used. The lights were turned off, but she could still see   
her lover's silhouette as Michiru sat in front of the dresser, removing   
the makeup she had worn during the day. She crossed her arms in front   
of her and leaned against the door frame while she started talking.  
  
"You did something to her, didn't you?"  
  
Michiru continued wiping off her makeup as she replied to  
Haruka's question. "What do you mean?"  
  
Haruka snorted loudly at Michiru's response. "Don't play  
games with me. Hotaru never used to behaved the way she did at the  
mall this afternoon. All my spare cash is gone, and I've almost  
maxxed out my credit card! I was planning to buy a new set of tires  
for the car!"  
  
Michiru chuckled. "You could have just said no to her. No one  
forced you to buy all those clothes. Hotaru-chan only needed a couple   
of new bras and some dresses. You deserved it, anyway, disturbing us  
while we were having an important talk."  
  
Haruka rolled her eyes. "Give me a break. I had something   
important to say! Besides, even if I _did_ barge in on your little  
talk, you didn't have to teach Hotaru how to give the me the _look_.  
That was a dirty trick!"  
  
Michiru shook her head. "It's not my fault that you have a  
weakness for cute little girls in school uniforms who bat their eyes  
at you."  
  
Haruka sat on the side of the bed and started taking off her  
clothes. It was no use trying to argue with Michiru about these things.  
Besides, there were more important things they needed to discuss.  
  
"Fine, whatever. In any case, you should keep what I said about  
Setsuna in mind. It's not safe to be around her anymore. She's gone off  
the deep end."  
  
Michiru grinned and turned to face her lover. "You know, if I  
didn't know any better, I'd say you just don't want to share."  
  
Haruka finished taking off her shirt and started working on  
her pants. "Stop joking around, Michiru. I'm serious about this. She  
kept babbling about one of her old boyfriends and generally acting  
out of character."  
  
Michiru lay down on the bed next to Haruka. "Fine, I'll keep  
my distance from Setsuna for a while. I still think you're making too  
much of a big deal out of this, though. She was probably just taking  
a trip down memory lane or something. I'm more surprised to know that  
she actually used to have a boyfriend than anything else.  
  
Haruka couldn't help but laugh a little at Michiru's remark.  
She finished pulling off her pants and lay down on the bed beside  
Michiru.  
  
"Yeah, I know. Who would've thought she actually had it in  
her, eh?"  
  
A few moments later, Haruka found herself pushed out of the bed  
and lying on the floor. She rubbed her head where the ground broke her  
fall and shouted angrily at Michiru. "What was _that_ for?"  
  
Michiru didn't even turn to Haruka as she spoke. "Either you  
go take a shower before getting back into bed, or you're sleeping on  
the couch."  
  
Haruka grumbled loudly as she moved to comply.  
  
*****  
  
"That all Shampoo have to report, Great-Grandmother. Shampoo  
can go take bath now, yes?"  
  
Cologne stifled a groan before rolling her eyes at Shampoo's  
question. Strictly speaking, if you went by the book, an Amazon warrior  
was supposed put all her concentration into accomplishing a task given  
to her by an elder. In practice, however, it was generally accepted  
that a warrior would take care of things like answering the call of  
nature or personal hygiene if the situation allowed it. She wished that  
Shampoo would learn to see things like that for herself.  
  
"Very well, Shampoo, you may take a bath. I believe that  
there is a public bath not too far from your location that remains open   
twenty-four hours a day. Do not take too long, however."  
  
Shampoo took a whiff of her clothing, quite dirty from the  
fact that she spent a lot of her time going through alleys to avoid  
detection, and made a sour face. She mumbled a quick goodbye to her  
great-grandmother and started walking away from Ranma's apartment  
building. She did not really want to leave him alone, especially since  
he had come into the building accompanied by that tall girl with the  
ponytail, but she definitely could use a bath. It wouldn't take her  
very long to clean up, anyway. What could possibly happen to him while  
she was gone?  
  
*****  
  
"It's you! It's really you! You're that bat-chick from my  
dreams! What are you doing here?"  
  
Morrigan plopped herself down on Ranma's lap and wrapped her  
slender arms around him before replying to his question.  
  
"I just thought I'd give you a chance to hand yourself over to  
me of your own free will, Ranchan."  
  
Ranma frowned. "Of my own free will? What do you mean? Who are  
you? How did you get here?"  
  
The woman giggled before replying. "My my, Ranchan, aren't  
we full of questions today? Very well, I shall answer you. My name is  
Morrigan, and I am a succubus. I have come here to offer you the  
pleasure of becoming my lover. As for how I got here, one of my powers  
is the ability to enter the dreams of any mortal man."  
  
Ranma's jaw fell open. It took him about ten seconds to gather  
his wits again and continue questioning her. "What's a succubus? And  
what do you mean you can enter people's dreams? Does that mean I'm  
dreaming right now?"  
  
Morrigan shook her head. "A succubus is a female supernatural  
being that survives by feeding on the sexual energy of her lovers, or  
lover, in this case. In answer to your other question: no, not exactly.   
This is a realm that exists somewhere between the real world and the  
world of dreams. It is a transition point that every person must pass  
through in order to dream."  
  
Ranma started looking around him. "So where are they? The  
other people, I mean. Shouldn't they be crawling all over here, trying  
to get to their dreams or whatever? And why does it look like Makoto's  
apartment?"  
  
Morrigan sighed at Ranma's question and patted his head, as if  
she had just spent a good deal of time explaining something to a child  
who just could not get it.  
  
"You're not thinking about it correctly, Ranchan. This isn't  
a place per se, it's more like a state. It's a state that every person  
must pass through in order to be able to dream. It looks like Makoto's  
apartment because that's where you fell asleep. It's not actually the  
real world, but it retains characteristics from it. In a manner of  
speaking, this is the real world as it exists in your mind."  
  
Ranma stared at Morrigan, a blank expression on his face. She  
took a deep breath and started talking again. "Look, let me put it this   
way; every human being's brain can be divided into the conscious and  
subconscious. The conscious part of one's brain is most active while  
the human is awake, while the subconscious is most active while he is  
asleep and dreaming. This world exists in your brain, right where your  
conscious and subconscious thoughts meet. It's your mental snapshot of  
the real world's state right before you fell asleep."  
  
Ranma blinked twice, then opened his mouth to ask yet another  
question. "So how is this place different from a dream, exactly?"  
  
Morrigan smiled broadly at him, revealing a set of sharp  
looking fangs. "Well, for starters, you're much stronger and smarter  
in this world than in a dream. You have access to both your conscious  
and subconscious thoughts, and that makes you very powerful in a  
mentally created plane like this one. I can't even manipulate your  
thoughts while we're in here, which I could if you were dreaming."  
  
Ranma nodded slowly. "So this is basically like a place that  
exists between the real world and my dreams, right?"  
  
Morrigan nodded in return. "That's right. You normally would  
have passed right through it and went straight to your dreams, but I'm  
using my powers to keep you here. I came here to... Is something wrong?  
You look like you just saw a ghost."  
  
Ranma's opened his eyes to look at Morrigan, having closed  
them after being hit with a sudden realization. He took several deep  
breaths to calm himself before speaking.  
  
"I'm an arrogant, insensitive jerk! I'm tactless, homophobic,  
irrational, insecure, afraid of commitment, disrespectful, and the  
clothes I wear went out of style decades ago! I've been leading Ukyo  
and Shampoo on to stroke my own ego, I've been running from all my  
responsibilities, and I should've chosen Kasumi to be my fiancee when  
I had the chance!"  
  
Morrigan shrugged, causing her breasts to jiggle enticingly  
and distract Ranma from his misery for a moment. "It's your increased  
intelligence in this world that allowed you to realize those things.  
Don't worry about it. Once you leave this realm and go back to thinking  
consciously, they won't seem important anymore. For now, I'll just  
use some of my powers to calm your nerves. Of course, it has a couple  
of trivial side-effects to it like making you extremely agreeable.  
You don't mind, do you?"  
  
Ranma heaved a sigh of relief. "No, I don't mind at all. Um...  
what were you talking about before?"  
  
Morrigan rolled her eyes at Ranma's quick recovery. "As I said,   
I came here to offer you the chance to willingly submit yourself to me  
as my lover. Do you accept?"  
  
Ranma eyed Morrigan suspiciously. "If you're so strong in the  
dream world, why are you even bothering to ask me? Couldn't you just  
wave your hand and make me want you?"  
  
Morrigan frowned, somehow looking both menacing and adorable  
while doing so. "I tried doing that, but as you remember, we kept  
getting interrupted in the middle of things. Your body cannot respond  
to outside stimulus while you're here, however, so that won't be a  
problem now."  
  
Ranma raised his eyebrows. "What if I don't want to be your  
lover? What if I don't want to have my energy sucked out of me? What if   
I already have someone else that I like?"  
  
Morrigan laughed heartily, squirming in Ranma's lap and sending  
delightful sensations straight to his brain as she did so. "Don't be  
silly, Ranchan. Of course you want to be my lover. Who wouldn't?  
Besides, I don't intend to keep our relationship exclusive. You can  
have as many girlfriends as you want. You can even marry some of  
them. I won't mind. And stop worrying about your energy. Your body  
generates more than fifty times the energy a normal human does. That's  
more than enough for me to feed on, with plenty left over for you to  
share with your other women. It's why I chose you to be my exclusive  
lover from now on. Think about it, Ranma, you have me when you sleep  
and you get to keep the fiancees you already have. It's like having  
your cake and eati--"  
  
Before Morrigan was able to finish her sentence, a large ball  
of fire burst into existence right above Ranma. The ball spun quickly  
around its axis, tendrils of flame whipping about it as it did so.  
Finally, after a second or so, a large form hurtled from within the  
fiery sphere to land on the couch beside Ranma and Morrigan. The ball  
of fire then disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Ranma and  
Morrigan stared at the burning form that had come from it. The flames  
slowly died down until they could see that the form was actually that  
of a young girl. After the fire had completely gone from her body,  
they found that the couch wasn't even singed. The girl was also quite  
conscious, staring at them as she rolled to sit down, having fallen  
upside-down on the couch. It took a few seconds before Ranma found  
his voice and spoke.  
  
"Rei? What are you doing here?"  
  
*****  
  
"I am Sailor Venus, the soldier of love and beauty. In the name  
of Venus, I will bring the punishment of love!"  
  
Minako Aino twirled around after delivering her lines, smiled  
brightly towards her bed, then struck a brand new heroic pose that she  
had come up with earlier that day. Artemis eyed her posture critically   
from the bed, nodding silently to himself as he watched her. After   
holding her pose for a few seconds, she sat down beside her feline  
companion and picked him up, dropping him onto her lap to discuss her  
performance.  
  
"What do you think? Am I gonna knock 'em dead, or what?"  
  
Artemis frowned a bit before he answered her. "Well, your eyes  
could stand to sparkle a bit more... and you weren't quite perky enough   
to really strike fear into the hearts of your enemies... still, you  
should be good enough to intimidate a bunch of schoolgirls. Why are you  
working so hard at this anyway? It's not like the fate of the world  
hangs in the balance or anything."  
  
Minako picked Artemis up and brought him face to face with her.   
"Listen, we're going to Nerima to save Ranma from his fiancees and  
there's a good chance that he'll be there to see us. I want him to be  
so impressed with me that he won't even notice the others. The last  
thing we need is to save him from one group of obsessed girls only to  
drop him into the lap of another. He needs to have someone at the ready  
when he becomes available again so that he won't fall prey to some  
random female wandering around or whatever."  
  
Artemis rolled his eyes. "Someone like you, right?"  
  
Minako grinned. "Exactly. Someone like me."  
  
*****  
  
"Look, all I'm saying is that we should take the time to think  
this whole thing over. I _know_ the plan will work, but I'm not sure  
if it's the right thing to do."  
  
Usagi sighed at her friend's words as they talked on the  
telephone. Ami had chosen a very bad time indeed to be indecisive. She  
had already worked out the details of their little mission to Nerima,  
and at the moment, she really didn't need someone nagging her about the   
righteousness of their cause.  
  
"Look, we're the warriors of love and justice, right? How could  
we be expected to protect the love of others if we can't even defend  
our own love? We've been engaged to Ranma thousands of years before  
those girls were even born. We've got dibs on him! They can't just  
waltz right in and take him away just because they're engaged to him  
too. Besides, Ranma's already ruined for all other women. How could  
he possibly settle for some Chinese waitress after experiencing the  
love of a senshi? His other fiancees would never be able to keep him  
satisfied. They've bitten off more than they could chew by getting  
engaged to him. We'd be doing them a favor by separating them from  
Ranma."  
  
Ami mulled Usagi's words over in her mind. Normally, she would  
have noticed right away that they sounded more like excuses to justify  
stealing Ranma away from his fiancees more than anything else. She  
also would have pointed out that Ranma had no recollection of his time  
with them, and would probably have no problems with spending his life  
alongside a pretty young girl like Shampoo. Finally, she would have  
said that no matter how they looked at it, they were still stealing  
a man from another woman... or women, in this case. However, she was  
anything but normal at the moment. During the past twenty four hours,  
her love for Ranma had grown exponentially. It was certainly a strange  
experience for her, falling deeper and deeper in love with a man she  
hardly knew. There was nothing she could do about it, however. She  
could no more resist her love for Ranma than she could forget all the  
memories that seem to have been crammed into her head. She soaked  
up Usagi's words like a sponge and came up with its own set of  
rationalizations for what they were about to do. She breathed a sigh  
of relief after convincing her conscience that they were working for  
the greater good. Her face lit up with a smile as she felt the weight  
of guilt being lifted from her shoulders.  
  
"You're absolutely right, Usagi. I don't know why I ever  
thought that we might be doing something wrong. I'll just make a  
couple of last-minute preparations tonight and we'll be able to  
go on our mission as early as tomorrow."  
  
Usagi grinned after listening to her friend's reply. "That's  
great, Ami. I knew I could count on you to see things the right way."  
  
*****  
  
"What're you making? Is there anything I can do to help?"  
  
Makoto whirled around from the stove to find Ranma standing by  
the door to the kitchen, looking straight at her. How long had he been  
standing there anyway? She hadn't heard a thing! She raised her hand  
to her heart as she took deep breaths to calm her nerves.  
  
"You startled me, Ranma. I thought you were still in the  
living room. I was thinking about preparing some oysters for dinner.  
You're not allergic to them or anything, are you?"  
  
Ranma started walking quickly towards Makoto from his position,   
and he was right in front of her in an instant. He continued walking  
slowly, backing her up until her back was pressing against the stove.  
He leaned towards her until their faces were only an inch apart, then  
he began talking in a low whisper.  
  
"Mako-chan, did you know that a lot of people consider oysters  
as potent aphrodisiacs? They say that shellfish are very useful for  
setting the mood, if you know what I mean."  
  
Makoto's heart started beating at twice its normal pace, and  
her breathing became shallow and labored. She had wanted to take her  
relationship with Ranma to the next level, but he seemed to be moving  
way too fast for her. She found herself wishing that she had worn her  
thick sweater, instead of the sleeveless green blouse she had on. She  
turned away from Ranma's gaze, trying to think of a way to diffuse the  
situation.  
  
"Aphrodisiacs? Setting the mood? I'm not sure I get what you  
mean, Ranma."  
  
Ranma chuckled softly at Makoto's words, raising his left hand  
to start stroking Makoto's shoulder. She shivered at his touch, and he  
dropped his right hand to grasp her back. He pulled her body against  
his own, whispering straight into her ear.  
  
"I'm sure you know exactly what I mean, Mako-chan. Say, why  
don't we just skip dinner and get right to the good part? Where's  
your bedroom, Mako-chan?"  
  
Makoto felt a wave of renewed energy overcome her at Ranma's  
touch, and she pushed him away from her with all of her might. She  
turned away from him as he fell onto the floor.  
  
"I like you a lot, Ranma, but you have to understand... I'm...  
I'm not that kind of girl!"  
  
Ranma shook his head at Makoto's words. He stood up and calmly  
straightened his clothes as he started walking towards Makoto again.  
  
"Don't be silly, Mako-chan. We both know you want it. Why run  
from your desires? There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm going to make  
you feel soooooo good."  
  
Makoto recoiled from Ranma upon hearing his words. This wasn't  
what she wanted at all. Ranma was acting very strangely. What was wrong  
with him? She ran out of the kitchen and headed towards the living   
room. After arriving, she was greeted by the sight of Ranma, sleeping  
on the couch with a magazine draped over his face.  
  
"Ranma? What are you doing here? I left you back at the  
kitchen!"  
  
The sound of footsteps coming from behind her caused Makoto to  
turn quickly around and come face to face with....  
  
"Ranma?"  
  
The newly arrived Ranma giggled at the look of confusion on  
Makoto's face. His face twisted itself into a cruel smile as he  
advanced towards her.  
  
"You weren't supposed to see that, Mako-chan. I guess I'm just  
not used to seducing women yet. Now I'm afraid I'm going to have to  
restrain you until we're done with Ranma over there. I have to say that  
it would have been much better for both of us if you hadn't gone and  
run away like that."  
  
Makoto grit her teeth and dropped into a ready stance as she  
faced the Ranma impostor. Her transformation pen was lying in her purse  
in her room, so she couldn't transform. Nonetheless, she tried to put  
on a brave front. There was always the off chance that she could bluff  
her way out of this, after all.  
  
"Whoever you are, you'd better get out of my apartment or  
you're going to regret messing with me!"  
  
The impostor laughed as his body started to glow and change.  
He gradually became shorter, and feminine curves appeared to replace  
Ranma's muscular physique. Two small bat wings sprouted from the  
impostor's head, followed by a matching pair at the small of her back.  
Her hair color changed from black to purple, and her clothes morphed  
into a skintight leather ensemble that left little to the imagination.  
She pointed a dainty finger at Makoto as the light around her body  
dissipated.  
  
"My name is Lilith, and I'm afraid I don't intend to leave  
your apartment anytime soon. I sincerely doubt that I'm going to regret  
anything, however."  
  
Makoto swore under her breath and whispered a prayer for good  
luck as she charged at her mysterious opponent.  
  
*****  
  
"You can see me? But that's impossible! You're just a vision!  
Visions aren't supposed to be able to... who are _you_?"  
  
Morrigan extended her hand to Rei in a gesture of greeting.  
"My name is Morrigan. It's a pleasure to meet you, Rei."  
  
Rei looked at Morrigan, then at Ranma, then at the way Morrigan  
was sitting on Ranma's lap. A large vein appeared on her forehead.  
  
"Just what do you think you two are doing?"  
  
Morrigan smiled at her. "Well, actually, Ranma and I were in  
the middle of an important discussion when you interrupted us. You see,  
he was about to agree to be my lover."  
  
Rei turned to Ranma. "Her lover? Is this true?"  
  
Ranma stared at the confused young girl in front of him, trying  
to think of a way to calm her down. "I'm not really sure what's going  
on, actually. How did you get here anyway?"  
  
Rei frowned as she thought about what had happened to her. "I  
was just doing a fire reading on you, but the vision started pulling  
me into it for some reason. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't... wait  
a minute, it's not important how I got here! You should put that woman  
down right now! What you're doing, it's not decent!"  
  
Morrigan rolled her eyes. "I don't think you're in any position  
to talk about decency right now. You are, after all, the only person in  
this room who isn't wearing anything."  
  
Rei stopped glaring at Morrigan and slowly lowered her head to  
look at herself. Having confirmed that she was indeed naked she raised  
her head to turn towards Ranma.  
  
"Have I been naked since I got here?"  
  
Ranma nodded his head. "Yeah, pretty much."  
  
Rei sighed. "I see."  
  
*****  
  
"Are you insinuating that I don't make an attractive wife?"  
  
Kasumi shook her head as she made a couple of last minute  
checks on the food to ensure that nothing was amiss.  
  
"I'm not saying anything of the sort, Nabiki. You're one of  
the most attractive women I know and there isn't a man in Nerima who  
wouldn't give his left arm to be your husband. All I'm saying is that  
for all your good points, a guy would have to be insane not to pick  
me over you."  
  
Nabiki slammed her fist against the table. "I don't suppose  
you'd care to explain that last thing you said?"  
  
Kasumi continued looking the food over as she replied. "Well,  
you're almost as pretty as I am and a bit younger as well, which I  
suppose is a plus for you. Still, you're not exactly as well-versed  
as I am in the skills needed to be a _really_ good wife."  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "And these so-called 'skills' would  
be?"  
  
Kasumi dipped her finger into the cream topping of a pastry  
she had prepared for dessert then closed her lips about the dainty  
digit. She closed her eyes as she sampled the taste.  
  
"Mmmm, that's about right. Could you repeat that last thing  
you said, Nabiki-chan?"  
  
Kasumi turned back toward where Nabiki had been, a smile  
adorning her face as always. Nabiki was no longer there, however. She  
shrugged, started humming a tune, then began setting the table.  
  
*****  
  
"Kiyaaa!"  
  
Makoto lunged at Lilith, her arm extending to strike at her  
opponent's face. She braced her arm for the impact as she closed the  
distance between them. However, she found herself punching thin air  
as Lilith suddenly disappeared at the last minute. The momentum of  
her attack caused her to lose her balance, and she scrambled to  
right herself without losing her footing. She heard a the sound of  
a giggle coming from behind her.  
  
"Stop struggling, Mako-chan. There's no way you could possibly  
beat me, you know. I didn't come here to hurt you or anything. If you'd  
just agree to wait until my sister's done with Ranma, we'll give him  
back to you and be on our way. We can even get it on if you want."  
  
Makoto dashed at Lilith once more. "Shut up! There's no way I'm   
going to let you get your hands on Ranma. Whatever you're doing to him,   
I'm going to put a stop to it!"  
  
Lilith sighed as she dodged Makoto's attacks with ease. It  
was a real shame, since Makoto was such a pretty girl, but she had no  
choice. She would have to beat the poor girl up. Her wings started to  
move and change shape as she called upon her shape shifting abilities  
to aid her in battle. She smiled prettily as she began her offensive.  
  
"Shining Blade!"  
  
*****  
  
"Rei, stop hiding behind the chair. I got a really good look at   
you while we were talking and you have nothing to be embarrassed about.  
Besides, I'm already used to seeing naked women. It doesn't bother me  
at all!"  
  
Rei kept herself behind the chair. "Are you insane? Of _course_  
I have something to be embarrassed about! I'm naked in a room with a  
guy who has a half-dressed woman sitting on his lap! If someone came in  
here right now I'd never live it down!"  
  
Morrigan shook her head. "No one is going to come in here, Rei.  
We're in--"  
  
Rei quickly interrupted her. "Shut up! If I wasn't naked right  
now I'd go over there and open up a can of whoopass on you!"  
  
Ranma tried a different approach. "It's not so bad, Rei. The  
fuku you wear when you're a super heroine isn't much worse, anyway."  
  
Rei was not pacified by Ranma's reasoning. "That's different.  
At least I was weari... you know about my being Sailor Mars?"  
  
Ranma realized that he had let the cat out of the bag, but  
decided that it wasn't important anymore. "Well, yeah. I remember--"  
  
Rei found herself overcome with joy. Ranma remembered! He knew  
all about being Athan and everything! Now she didn't have to worry  
about how to break the news to him anymore.  
  
"That's wonderful, Ranma! I can't believe you actually remember  
everything! Now the two of us can get married as soon as we get rid of  
your other fiancees!"  
  
An uncomfortable silence settled on the three occupants of the  
room for a few seconds. Ranma was the first to break it.  
  
"Um... Rei... we're not... engaged or anything, are we?"  
  
A confused look formed on Rei's face. "Of course we are, Ranma.  
I thought you said you remembered!"  
  
Ranma sighed. "I was going to say that I remembered meeting you  
back at the park, when I beat that demon who was attacking everyone.  
If my dad made a deal with your dad when we were young about us being  
engaged or something, I probably never knew about it. I'm still not  
sure how I'm going to settle all of my engagements. You're kinda lucky  
though, since Kasumi has already come up with a system to keep track  
of all my fiancees. If you'll send a copy of your name, contact number,   
a recent photo, the date of our engagement, and the circumstances  
surrounding it to the Tendo Dojo in Nerima, you'll be notified in case  
something comes up."  
  
Rei's mouth fell open. "You don't remember how we got engaged,  
do you?"  
  
Ranma shrugged, grinned, and scratched the back of his head.  
"No, not really. It's not your fault, though. There was just too many  
girls and I couldn't possibly--"  
  
"Enough!" Morrigan glared daggers at the chair Rei was hiding  
behind and tightened her hold on Ranma. "I came here to take Ranma as  
my own, not to listen to you argue about some long-forgotten engagement  
to him. I was here before you, so why don't you just go away and talk  
to Ranma when I'm done with him?"  
  
Rei responded with a shout. "I'm not letting you get your hands  
on Ranma!"  
  
Morrigan laughed at her. "Oh really? How are you going to stop  
me? In case you haven't noticed, I already have my hands on him."  
  
"I may have lost my clothes, but I've still got _this_!"  
  
Rei stood up from behind the chair she was using as a hiding  
place and raised her transformation pen into the air.  
  
"Mars power, make up!"  
  
*****  
  
"Attractive wife my ass! I'll show her attractive!"  
  
Nabiki continued stuffing clothes into her suitcase as she  
formulated a plan to get to Juuban as soon as possible and bring Ranma  
back to Nerima. She did not really want to go through all the trouble  
it would entail, but she had something to prove.  
  
"Just you wait, Kasumi. When I bring Ranma back here he's gonna  
be wrapped so tightly around my finger that you're gonna need a crowbar  
to pry him off!"  
  
Nabiki slammed her suitcase closed, checked to make sure that  
she had plenty of money in her wallet, then went out of the house  
through her bedroom window.  
  
"Juuban, here I come!"  
  
*****  
  
"Soul Flash!"  
  
Makoto slammed against one of her apartment's walls at the  
force of Lilith's attack. They hadn't been fighting for very long  
but she was almost ready to pass out. Lilith's diminutive size  
belied the incredible strength she possessed, and Makoto knew she  
wouldn't be able to fight for much longer.  
  
Her situation wasn't completely hopeless, however. She still   
had an ace up her sleeve. Lilith's attack had sent her right beside the  
door to her bedroom, and she dashed into it as fast as her injured legs  
would allow her. Lilith followed her, walking at a slow and leisurely  
pace.  
  
"It's no use running from me, Mako-chan. Why don't you just  
stop fighting? My sister's almost done with Ranma anyway."  
  
When Lilith finally got to the door to Makoto's room, she found  
the brown-haired teenager pulling a long, elongated object from her  
purse.  
  
"What have you got there, Makoto? Surely you don't think a can  
of mace can stop me. It doesn't matter what you have in your purse.  
Nothing can help you now. Or is that a toy for us to play with? My  
offer still stands, you know. I promise we'll both enjoy it."  
  
Makoto didn't waste any time. She raised her transformation  
pen into the air and shouted at the top of her lungs. "Jupiter  
power, make up!"  
  
*****  
  
"If you don't get up from Ranma's lap and promise to leave  
him alone from now on, I'm going to make you regret it!"  
  
Morrigan stood up from Ranma's lap and looked at Rei's new   
form. "So the pen was some sort of magical artifact to transform you  
into a super heroine? Very interesting. I like your style of clothing,  
by the way. Very suggestive."  
  
Rei angrily pointed an accusing finger at Morrigan. "Who are  
you anyway? Ranma never told us about you so you can't be all that  
important to him! Just leave him alone and I won't hurt you!"  
  
Morrigan wagged her finger at Rei. "It's not nice to threaten  
other people, little girl, especially when you don't know what they're  
capable of. In any case, I would like to know where you kept the pen  
all this time. I'm sure I didn't see you holding it when you first  
arrived."  
  
Rei blushed bright red at Morrigan's question. "That's not  
important! Do you promise to leave Ranma alone or don't you?"  
  
Morrigan smiled. "No, I do not."  
  
Ranma leapt between the two women, trying to prevent the  
impending battle from taking place.  
  
"Girls, please! Can't we just sit down and talk this over like  
civilized people?"  
  
Both women glared daggers at him, and he sank back onto his  
chair. He prepared himself to intervene in case things got out of hand,  
but decided that he would not interfere with their battle unless it was  
absolutely necessary. This was a woman-to-woman fight, and he'd best  
not get involved if he could help it. Both Rei and Morrigan seemed to  
have considerable fighting skill anyway. If he was lucky, neither of  
them would be able to seriously injure the other.  
  
Rei clasped her hands together as sparks started to form  
on her fingers. She quickly extended her arms towards Morrigan as  
she began her attack.  
  
"Fire Soul!"  
  
*****  
  
The phone in Usagi's room rang as she prepared to place a  
slice of pickle on top of her right eye. Another slice was already  
on her left eye, and her face was covered in a slimy cream she had  
bought earlier that week. She reached her hand out to pick up the  
phone and held the receiver against her ear.  
  
"Tsukino residence, this is Usagi speaking."  
  
Ami's voice quickly started spewing from the handset's   
earpiece. "Usagi, we have to get to Makoto's apartment right now!"  
  
Usagi glanced at her mirror and noticed that the pickle on  
her left eye was starting to fall off. She adjusted its position with  
her free hand while she replied. "Right now? I'm kind of in the middle  
of something important, Ami-chan."  
  
Ami quickly replied, her voice showing signs of worry. "It's  
very important, Usagi! My computer is getting readings that show Makoto   
has just used her pen to transform into Sailor Jupiter. There are also  
large amounts of dark energy floating around inside her apartment. I  
think she's being attacked! I've already called Minako and she's going  
there right now!"  
  
Usagi dropped the pickle she was holding in her left hand and  
immediately stood up from her chair. "Mako-chan is being attacked? Why  
didn't you say so sooner? I'm on my way right now!"  
  
Usagi slammed the phone into its receiver and grabbed her  
transformation brooch from her dresser. She raised it into the air  
and shouted. "Moon crystal power, make up!"  
  
*****  
  
"Let's all toast to the impending success of my mission!"  
  
The large crowd at the bar all cheered at Urd's declaration,  
though none of them had the foggiest idea what the heck she was talking   
about. She was buying all the drinks, however, so they could care less  
why she was being so generous.   
  
Men lurked all around, waiting for her to get drunk so they  
could make their move and try their luck at taking home the most  
beautiful female they had ever laid eyes on. Some of them were  
already thinking of giving up, however, because she had been  
drinking since that afternoon and was still showing no signs of  
inebriation. She raised her bottle of sake into the air and drank  
deeply from it to the cheers of the crowd. She called out to the  
bartender, who rushed to her side.  
  
"Get me another bottle of sake, and another round of drinks  
for everyone!"  
  
Urd smiled to herself as she waited for her order. She had  
succeeded in bringing Ranma from Nerima to Juuban, and it was only a  
matter of time before her plan would become a complete success. Once  
the higher-ups heard of her work, she would be promoted to goddess  
first-class for sure! Right now, for her at least, life was very  
good.  
  
*****  
  
Author's Notes  
  
Well, here's the much-awaited chapter thirteen. Chester will  
be happy to note that plot resolutions are forthcoming, and Seaver  
will be happy to see all the fanservice. For those of you who were  
expecting a great storyline with exciting plot development, you'll  
be greatly disappointed.  
  
I would like to thank Ditta, Hibiki, Meia, Jura, Barnette, the  
smile brigade, and whomever wrote that _wonderful_ Vandread dojin I  
read for being some of the biggest reasons this chapter took so long  
to write. I would also like to thank my thesis adviser, whomever  
invented katakana and made so many of the characters look the same,  
and the anime vendor who sold me a defective copy of Dual episode  
twelve for being the other big reasons it took so long.  
  
I would also like to thank Groo, Chester, Shade, Tracy Poff,  
Farmer, Griever, Egan Mandreck, Tonyloco, Fred Voeltner, Sebastian  
Rynders, Kevin Henry, and Vex for all the help they have given me  
for this chapter.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	16. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: The characters ain't mine, I ain't making a cent... you  
know the drill.  
  
Warning: Error reading fanfic. Abort, Retry, Fail?  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keiichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 14  
by Jose Argao  
  
  
"Kiyaaa!"  
  
Makoto swung her fist at Lilith, her powers as Sailor Jupiter  
making her over ten times stronger and faster than normal. For all her  
speed, however, Lilith was even faster than she was. The young succubus   
gracefully dodged her punch and grabbed her arm, throwing her into a  
wall afterwards. It wasn't really very painful. She could tell that  
Lilith was just toying with her.  
  
She growled in frustration and brushed the dirt from her  
shapely legs as she stood up from where she had fallen. Time was  
running out. She needed to do something fast, or Ranma would surely be  
done for. There was no telling what Lilith's sister could do to Ranma  
given enough time. She hoped it didn't involve any chains, rope, whips,   
leather outfits, or whipped cream.  
  
Lilith shook her head at Makoto as the girl gathered her wits.  
She was very disappointed with the thunder senshi's performance. "I was   
kinda hoping that fancy transformation you did would make you a little   
bit more of a challenge, Mako-chan. Can't you do any better? I'm really  
starting to get bored."  
  
Makoto glared daggers at Lilith. No one spoke to Sailor Jupiter  
that way and lived to tell about it! Actually, no one had ever spoken  
to Sailor Jupiter that way... ever. Her usual opponents normally had  
the conversational skills of a brick wall. Even when she _did_ face an  
opponent capable of coherent speech, she rarely ever got to say more  
than a word or two to them. They were always too eager to ignore her  
and focus all of their attention on Usagi.   
  
This used to really bother her, since she figured that Usagi's  
long, drawn out speeches about love and friendship would turn boys off  
from them. She only stopped worrying when she realized that guys would  
like them regardless, if only for their long legs and short skirts. In  
any case, she now realized that she wanted a guy who wanted her for her  
mind, not her body. Her beautiful face and fabulous figure were often  
put at risk while she performed her duties as a senshi, after all.   
  
She needed someone like Ranma, who would love her sincerely  
until the day they died. He had a liking for martial arts, which was  
something she wanted to have in common with her future husband. Of  
course, it didn't hurt that he was easily the hottest guy she had ever  
laid eyes on. His looks completely put Mamoru to shame! She could just  
see it now, the two of them alone in bed on their wedding night....  
  
"Hey, are you alright?"  
  
Makoto snapped out of her thoughts and found that Lilith was  
standing right in front of her, waving a hand in her face. She quickly  
stepped away from the young succubus. Lilith grinned impishly at her.  
  
"You were thinking naughty thoughts just now, weren't you?"  
  
Sailor Jupiter blushed hotly, turned away from Lilith, and  
started shifting her weight from one foot to another. "Of... of course  
not! Why would I be thinking naughty thoughts at a time like this?"  
  
Lilith grinned and pressed herself against Makoto's side. She  
stood on tiptoe and whispered softly into Makoto's left ear. "Come on,  
Mako-chan. I won't tell anyone... it'll be our little secret."  
  
Makoto smiled uncertainly as she turned towards Lilith. "Do you  
promise that it'll just be between the two of us?"  
  
Lilith nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh, cross my heart and  
hope to die!"  
  
Makoto looked around carefully before drawing Lilith towards  
herself and whispering softly, "Well, actually--"  
  
The sound of a large explosion from elsewhere in the apartment  
interrupted Makoto's impending confession. She recoiled from Lilith and  
jumped backwards, away from her opponent. What had she been thinking?  
This was a battle, not a slumber party! She turned towards Lilith, who  
was grinning widely at her.  
  
Lilith winked at the stunned Sailor Jupiter. "Almost got you  
there, didn't I? Oh well, it looks like we've got company. Let's go!"  
  
Lilith skipped out of the room, Makoto running after her. They  
stopped near the hall leading to the entrance, which looked like it had  
just been hit by a cannon. Thick clouds of dust and plaster still hung  
in the air. Everything was devastated. They could just make out a  
feminine form from somewhere in the middle of the dust clouds. It was  
apparently trying to twirl around but was having some difficulty of  
movement due to the debris lying near its feet. It was also trying to  
say something.  
  
"I am... (cough)... Sailor Venus, the... (cough, cough)...  
soldier of love and (wheeze) beauty. In the name... (hack)... of  
Venus, I will bring the... (wheeze)... oh geez... (cough)..., maybe  
I shouldn't have... (wheeze)... blasted the door down...."  
  
A large sweat drop formed on Makoto's forehead.  
  
*****  
  
"I want you to find out what Ranma's class schedule is. If  
you can get me his Juuban address as well, that'd be even better."  
  
Nabiki listened to the voice from her cellphone as she  
waited at the station for a train to come in.She paced back and  
forth for a few seconds while the person at the other end replied  
to her. She thought for a moment, then spoke again.  
  
"Yes, you'll get extra pictures of Akane for the address. I  
expect to get results by tomorrow or the deal's off."  
  
Nabiki sighed and shook her headas she listened to the reply.  
"That's not my problem. I'm sure you'll find a way, Hikaru."  
  
Nabiki ended the call and put her cell phone back into her purse   
before Gosunkugi could bargain for more time. She didn't want to hear  
excuses. She needed results. If Hikaru couldn't come through, she still   
had other options. She expected that he would, however. The nerdy  
little pervert didn't have nearly as much money as Kuno did, which was  
why he had to take most of the pictures in his 'Akane Gallery' himself.   
This was one of his few opportunities to get top quality images of  
her little sister.  
  
Nabiki sighed as she waited at the train station for the last  
trip to Juuban. She didn't like the spontaneity of this little trip.  
Still, it wouldn't do to let Kasumi have the last laugh. In hindsight,  
she could see that her approach was sloppy and not very well thought  
out. She had just taken it for granted that Kasumi always did as she  
was told. She may have underestimated her older sister once, but it  
wouldn't happen again.   
  
Nabiki brightened a bit as her train came into the station  
and slowed to a stop in front of her. At least with Ranma, she knew  
exactly what she was dealing with. He may have been one of the best  
martial artists in the world, but Ranma was ill-equipped to go toe to  
toe with her in a battle of wits. She would have him back in Nerima  
before he even knew what hit him.  
  
Nabiki sat down on an empty seat, her mind already buzzing with  
ideas on how to proceed. She was startled out of her thoughts when a  
young girl suddenly sat beside her and grabbed her by the arm.  
  
"Ms. Tendo, You're taking the same train I am! What a nice  
surprise!"  
  
Nabiki frowned as she took in the young girl who was smiling  
brightly at her. The girl looked to be about eighteen years old and was   
wearing a tight-fitting, yellow dress that showed her long legs off to  
full effect. She had long, brown hair that fell backwards from her head  
almost down to her waist. Nabiki found herself getting envious of the  
unknown girl's brown locks. Her own hair refused to cooperate with her  
unless she cut it short. Nabiki did not recognize her.   
  
"Have we met?"  
  
The girl rolled her eyes and pouted at her, tossing her hair about  
in a cute way as she did so. "What a mean thing to say, Ms. Tendo. We  
met just this morning at your English class!"  
  
Nabiki's eyes went wide. Now that she thought about it, the  
girl's dress _did_ seem a bit familiar. The rest of her didn't seem  
too far off mark. She had heard the rumors, of course, but had simply  
assumed that they were exaggerations.  
  
"Ms. Hinako?"  
  
*****  
  
"Shadow blade!"  
  
Rei narrowly avoided the large blade that Morrigan's arm had  
morphed into, but found herself getting hit by the afterimages that  
trailed the succubus. She fell to the ground, but was back on her  
feet within seconds. She would not lose, not when so much was at  
stake. Still, they had been fighting for a while and she had failed  
to get even one attack through Morrigan's defenses.   
  
She had already thrown a number of Fire Souls and Fire Soul  
Birds at her opponent, but Morrigan had avoided those with ease.  
She just wasn't used to fighting opponents that relied more on speed  
and technique than brute force. Unlike the youma she normally fought,  
simply sending a bigger blast of power at Morrigan did not seem to help   
at all. All she had succeeded in doing was drain herself of energy. She  
decided to try a more physical approach. If a flaming bird of searing  
flames couldn't do the job, maybe a stiff kick to the shins would be  
more effective. She jumped high into the air, concentrated her power  
into her right foot, and aimed a kick straight at Morrigan as she  
fell.  
  
"Mars Fire Kick!"  
  
Morrigan raised an eyebrow as she watched Rei's new attack.  
She remained standing exactly where she was, not moving a muscle, as  
Rei's flaming foot smashed into the floor four feet in front of her.  
A deep hole formed on the floor where it hit, and Rei had to pull  
mightily on her leg a couple of times before she managed to get it  
loose. Morrigan rolled her eyes.  
  
"Perhaps you would achieve better results if you try to avoid  
making up moves as you go along, dear. I really don't see how you could   
possibly hope to defeat me. Perhaps it would be for the best if you  
simply gave up and went back to wherever you came from. Cut your losses  
while you can."  
  
Rei tried to glare at her opponent, but it came out looking  
more like a wince. Hitting that floor really hurt! She needed to buy  
time to think of a new strategy. She needed to distract Morrigan long  
enough to figure out how to strike next. In other words, it was time  
for a long, boring speech.   
  
She wasn't as good as Usagi at using this tactic, of course,  
but she was getting better. She should be able to buy at least a minute   
or two.Maybe even five if she was lucky. She took a deep breath to  
prepare herself before starting her verbal assault.  
  
"I'll never give up! Maybe you _are_ a bit faster and stronger  
than me, and maybe I _am_ way out of my league in fighting you, but I'm   
fighting in the name of love! My love gives me the courage to continue  
fighting against overwhelming odds. You may thwart my attacks, but  
you'll never dampen my resolve. I am Sailor Mars, and the power of Mars  
surges within me. I'm not as weak as I seem. You can't just snap your  
fingers and make me go away!"  
  
Morrigan's face brightened after listening to Rei's words.  
She stood up straight, abandoning her fighting stance, and snapped her  
fingers. Rei started glowed brightly, then disappeared in a cloud of  
smoke.  
  
"I forgot that I could do that. Thank you for reminding me."  
  
She looked around her, found Ranma still sitting quietly on  
his seat, and sat back down on his lap. She was glad that she had used  
her powers to calm him down. It would have been problematic if he had  
developed an urge to leave while she was fighting Rei. Trying to find  
someone who didn't want to be found was quite hard when that someone  
was hiding in a mental plane of their own creation. She playfully  
ruffled his hair, then traced a finger along his jaw line as she  
spoke to him.  
  
"Now Ranma, what were we talking about before that girl  
interrupted us?"  
  
*****  
  
Makoto's jaw dropped in shock once the dust cleared as she  
surveyed the damage done to her apartment. The small hallway that led  
from the hall to the inside of the apartment was littered with debris.  
The wallpaper had been ripped off the walls, which had large cracks  
in them and looked like they were about to crumble apart. She could  
still make out one of the straps of her brand new sandals, which she  
had purchased for a rather large amount of money, worn only once so  
far, and left on the shoe rack beside the door. In the middle of it  
all, Minako had finally stopped coughing and was now trying to pat the  
dust off of her body.  
  
The thunder senshi's lower lip trembled.  
  
With a speed that surprised even Lilith, Makoto made her way to  
Minako and grabbed the senshi of love by the shoulders.  
  
"What the heck do you think you're doing here?"  
  
Minako turned her gaze towards Makoto, grinned, and laughed  
nervously. "I... uh... Sailor Mercury told me that you were in trouble  
so... I came here to save you. I was trying to take the enemy by  
surprise."  
  
"By blasting the door to my apartment open with your powers?"  
Makoto shook her friend rather violently.  
  
Minako gulped as she took a look at the devastated hallway.  
  
"Uh... yeah. I was thinking that most enemies have a plan  
in case someone tries to sneak in and interfere with them, but no  
one really takes a full frontal assault into consideration."  
  
Makoto glared at Minako. "That may have been the dumbest, most  
idiotic thing I've ever heard in my life! Where did you learn that?"  
  
Minako rolled her eyes. "Duh! Don't you ever watch any movies?"  
  
Makoto was about to say something politically incorrect about  
Minako and blondes in general when she was interrupted by the sound of  
another large explosion. She quickly turned to Lilith, who shrugged and  
pointed towards the living room. Minako and Makoto ran towards it with  
lightning speed, Lilith following at a leisurely pace.  
  
There were heavy clouds of dust in the air, and they could make   
out two female figures in the middle of them. They were both coughing  
violently, and their conversation could be heard quite clearly from  
where Makoto, Minako, and Lilith were standing.  
  
One of the figures turned to the other. "I told you it was a  
bad idea. The apartment is a mess! We should have just snuck in while  
Sailor Venus was distracting them."  
  
The other figure took a break from wringing her hair to reply  
to her companion. "But we needed to take them by surprise! I mean,  
after what Venus did to the door, no one would _ever_ expect us to  
break the wall down too!"  
  
Suddenly, a bright light appeared in the middle of the two  
figures. They both squealed like frightened schoolgirls and jumped back  
with all the grace of an uncute gorilla swinging a mallet over its  
head. The light seemed to be pushing the air away from it, forcing the  
women to cover their delicate eyes lest dangerous dust particles find  
their way into them. When they felt the air stop moving, they turned  
back towards the middle of the living room.  
  
The dust was mostly gone. They could now see a devastated room  
and a confused Rei Hino standing in the middle of it. Usagi and Ami  
were on one side of the room, trying to look like they understood what  
was going on. On the other side of the room, Minako pulled her skirt  
down and glared at Lilith, who reluctantly let go of the blonde's right   
breast.   
  
Makoto fainted.   
  
A few seconds of awkward silence followed until Usagi found her   
voice. "Um... Mars, how did you get here? And why are you naked?"  
  
Rei glanced downward to confirm her state of undress, then  
sighed loudly.  
  
*****  
  
"So that's what happened. After Ranma left, I realized that  
there wasn't anything left for me to do in Nerima, so I asked to be  
transferred to Juuban."  
  
Nabiki frowned at her English teacher. "A transfer? Doesn't  
that take a while to process? Aside from that, don't you need to give  
the school a few weeks notice before you leave?"  
  
Ms. Hinako giggled. "Oh, I've never bothered with that before.  
Whenever I want to transfer schools, I just drain the energy of anyone  
who has a problem with it."  
  
Nabiki raised her eyebrows. "Doesn't it get you in trouble with   
the Ministry of Education?"  
  
Ms. Hinako shook her head. "Of course not. The people there  
used to have a problem with me working as a teacher, what with me not  
even having a college degree and all. After I showed them what I could  
do, though, they gave me a permit that said that I could work in any  
school teaching any subject that I want!"  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "When you showed the people what you  
could do, did your demonstration involve threatening to drain them if  
they didn't let you teach?"  
  
Ms. Hinako nodded enthusiastically. "Of course it did! I mean,  
I was only sixteen back then but I already knew that I wanted to be a  
teacher and help reform delinquents. I already had the skills I needed,  
so it just didn't make sense for me to go to college anymore."  
  
Nabiki frowned, deep in thought. She hadn't anticipated this  
new development. Ms. Hinako was annoying as a child, and dangerous as  
an adult. There was no telling how a teenaged Ms. Hinako would act.  
She would have to be watched, but how?  
  
Nabiki thought for a few more moments, then smiled at her  
teacher. "Say, Ms. Hinako, would you like to stay with me while we're  
in Juuban?"  
  
*****  
  
"Um... you didn't just kill Rei back there, did you?"  
  
Morrigan chuckled at Ranma's question. "Of course not. There  
was no need to do so. I just kicked her out of this plane so that we  
could have our privacy back. So let's get back to our discussion. Do  
you agree to become my lover or not?"  
  
Ranma smiled at her. Morrigan was turning out to be quite a  
special woman indeed. On an intellectual level, he knew that she was  
somehow causing him to act more calmly than he normally would. There  
was simply no way that he would have acted the way he did unless he  
was being manipulated by some powerful outside force. He also knew  
that her offer was simply too good to be true. There had to be a catch  
to it. Agreeing to be her lover would probably be an extremely dumb  
thing for him to do. The best thing to do would be to reject her offer  
and, if she tried to force him into it, fight her with every ounce of  
will he had left in him.  
  
On the other hand, Morrigan was gorgeous, sexy, sitting on his  
lap, and she had just started licking his ear. How could she possibly  
be evil when she felt so very, very good?  
  
Morrigan smiled as she read Ranma's thoughts. Amazingly enough,   
he was still putting up a feeble fight against her influence. It was no   
use, of course. The battle was already over. He just didn't realize it  
yet. She grabbed one of Ranma's hands and pressed it against her right  
breast, draining him of the last of his will. She stopped licking his  
ear long enough to whisper softly into it.  
  
"Do you accept my offer, Ranma? Will you give yourself to me,  
body and soul forever and ever? Will you kiss me, and seal our contract   
of love?"  
  
A small voice in Ranma's head implored him not to give himself  
up to the seductive succubus on his lap. It died down when she drew  
away and stared at him with her smoldering eyes.   
  
Ranma grabbed Morrigan by her shoulders and kissed her roughly  
on the lips. All that he lacked in experience, he more than made up for  
in enthusiasm. When the kiss ended mere seconds later, Morrigan cradled  
his head in her hands as she spoke soothingly to him.  
  
"Thank you, my sweet. We are going have so much fun together.  
Of course, there are a couple of trivial little things that I need you  
to do for me first. Do you promise to do them for me?"  
  
Ranma spoke quickly, without hesitation. "Sure! I'd do anything  
for you."  
  
Morrigan nodded slowly. "That's very good, Ranchan. I can tell  
that we are destined to have a long, happy relationship. There's just  
one thing...."  
  
Ranma replied immediately. "What is it, my love?"  
  
Morrigan smiled and pulled Ranma's body against her own. She  
closed her eyes and spoke softly into his right ear.  
  
"Call me mistress."  
  
*****  
  
"Sailor Mars, put something on! You'll catch a cold trying to  
fight evil while naked!"  
  
All other present occupants of Makoto's apartment collectively  
sweat dropped, save for Makoto herself who was still unconscious. She  
was lying across Ranma, who had fallen off of the couch but was still  
apparently sleeping. Ami knelt beside her and cradled the thunder  
senshi's head on her lap, wondering why no one else noticed Makoto go  
down. She mulled that last thought over in her mind a couple of times,  
realized what she had just told herself, then sighed with relief that  
she hadn't said anything out loud. A girl thinking of another girl  
going down... it just wasn't kosher.  
  
She looked up to find that Usagi was in the middle of an  
argument with Rei. Apparently, Rei had transformed into Sailor Mars  
while she was thinking... er... not thinking of Makoto going down.  
It was kinda curious, actually, since she was sure that Rei wasn't  
holding her transformation pen when she materialized.  
  
Usagi clenched her hand into a fist and waved it around the  
air to give her words emphasis. Her skirt flew wildly about as she  
spoke, making it worthwhile for even the most dedicated shonen fan to  
watch her speak.  
  
"So where have you been all this time, exactly? Mercury and I  
have been trying to contact you the whole way over here and we couldn't   
reach your communicator! We've been worried sick about you!"  
  
Rei replied with a lot less fist-shaking and skirt-swaying,  
which was a real shame.  
  
"If you must know, I've been battling a powerful woman named  
Morrigan in order to save Ranma from a future as her lover!"  
  
Usagi frowned. "Really? How come Sailor Mercury's computer  
didn't detect you transforming?"  
  
Rei glared at her blonde friend. "That's because I was doing  
it in a dream world!"  
  
Usagi paled. "I don't think that has anything to do with the  
topic, Mars. I'm not the type of person to judge anyone by what they  
do in their fantasies, but I'd appreciate it if you kept yours to  
yourself."  
  
Rei's jaw fell open. She frowned as she recalled the last  
thing she had said. Her face briefly brightened with realization, then  
darkened with anger. "I meant to say that I was fighting Morrigan in  
a dream world! Sheesh, can't you get your heads out of the gutter for  
three minutes?"  
  
All other present occupants of Makoto's apartment let out the  
breath they've been holding. Lilith picked a timer up from a nearby  
table, which had conveniently escaped damage, and set it for exactly  
a hundred and eighty seconds.  
  
Usagi nodded sagely. "Fighting to save a cute guy from an evil  
and powerful other woman might be a very nice fantasy to have, Rei, but  
I hardly think it's an acceptable excuse for not being around when your  
friends are fighting a vicious youma!"  
  
Rei frowned. "What friend? What vicious youma?"  
  
Usagi rolled her eyes. "The friend was Mako-chan of course!  
Why do you think we're all here? As for the youma, I'm talking about  
the one standing a couple of feet behind you, beside Sailor Venus."  
  
Rei turned around and saw Lilith, who smiled and waved at her.  
She smiled and waved back before turning once more towards Usagi.  
  
"Oh, _that_ youma. Well, Morrigan is like an adult version of  
her! If you've been having trouble fighting her, just think of what I  
must have went through! And for the record, it wasn't just a dream. It  
was an actual dream world, a plane of existence just as real as our  
own. I'm not really sure how to explain it, but I was somehow able to  
teleport from the shrine to the dream world, where I fought Morrigan.  
I was just about to win, too, but then she pulled a dirty trick on me  
and tossed me out here with you guys."  
  
Usagi shook her fist once again. "Well I still think you should  
have been here. What do you think, Morrigan?"  
  
Ami blushed hotly and avoided Usagi's stare. "What do I think?  
Well, I don't know! I certainly wasn't thinking of Mako-chan going  
down or anything, if that's what you mean. I've been thinking purely  
non-sexual thoughts all this time."  
  
Usagi and Rei sweat dropped. They were about to launch into  
another debate about the propriety of Rei's fantasies when the wall  
opposite the one Usagi had blown up suddenly exploded. A man-sized  
hole was formed on it, out of which a small bag was thrown. The bag  
exploded in mid-air, and a powdery substance from inside it was  
sprinkled onto the room's occupants. The expressions on the senshi's  
faces immediately changed from blissful ignorance to stunned looks  
of realization.  
  
Usagi was the first to find her voice, since she was the more  
accomplished of the group when it came to verbal matters. "Oh my gosh!  
What have we been doing all this time! We shouldn't be arguing with  
each other like this, we should be saving Mako-chan from the youma!  
Then, afterwards, we can all go and save Ranma from the woman Mars was  
talking about!"  
  
No one paid any attention to the young princess. It was not,  
however, because she was just stating the obvious. It was actually  
because a new figure entered the scene as she was talking.  
  
Shampoo had just walked into the room.  
  
She strode purposefully until she reached an empty corner of  
the room. Minako had moved toward her friends while everyone else was  
watching the purple-haired beauty, since it didn't look like such a  
good idea to be near the enemy if a fight were to break out. Some of  
her friends' attacks tended to have a certain... indiscriminate quality  
to them that made it particularly dangerous to stand in their line of  
fire, or anywhere close to it. Basically, the senshi were now together  
on one side of the room, while Lilith and Shampoo stood on opposite  
corners of the other side.  
  
Shampoo craned her neck to make sure that everyone's focus was  
on her. She wanted to explain what she had done, for no particular  
reason at all, but she didn't want to have to explain it a second time  
to someone who wasn't paying attention. Satisfied with what she saw,  
she began speaking.  
  
"Shampoo had been watching you for some time. Shampoo saw some  
of you with Airen. Shampoo left you alone, because Shampoo wanted to  
do as Great-Grandmother told her. Now Shampoo leave for ten minutes to  
take shower and she return to find you all in thrall of succubus while  
Airen is sleeping, probably falling into hands of other succubus in  
his dreams? Is very sloppy work of protecting love. Is unforgivable.  
You not even worthy to call selves as admirers of Shampoo's Airen! If  
you no wish to have Shampoo chase you to ends of Earth and kill, you  
help Shampoo to vanquish succubus!"  
  
Usagi felt the urge to defend herself from Shampoo's verbal  
onslaught, but she was still trying to sort out exactly what the  
Chinese girl had said when she heard Lilith yawn loudly in the other  
corner of the room. The young succubus smiled at her companions,  
then launched into her own spiel.  
  
"Oh, phooey. I was really hoping that my spell would hold  
until my sister was able to fully enslave Ranma to her will. Now you  
had to release that silly little drug into the air and free them  
from my influence. How come everybody wants to do things the hard way  
around here?"  
  
With lightning speed, Lilith leapt into the air towards Shampoo   
and kicked at the startled Amazon warrior. Shampoo dodged to the right,   
easily avoiding the attack. With practiced ease, she grabbed Lilith's  
foot and used her own momentum to throw her towards the wall. Lilith  
gracefully flipped over in mid-air and bounded from the wall, landing  
on her feet back at her corner at the room. She smiled at her Amazon  
opponent as they regarded each other from their opposite corners.  
  
"Hey, you're pretty fast! I might actually have to put some  
effort into beating you."  
  
Shampoo smirked at the succubus. "You no take Amazon warrior  
lightly. Ranma is Shampoo's Airen. Shampoo will show no mercy."  
  
On the opposite side of the room, Usagi turned towards her  
senshi and tried to marshal her troops back into fighting form.  
  
"Listen, I'm not really sure what those two were talking about,   
but they're obviously working for evil. Only youma would have hair like  
that. As defenders of love and justice, it's our duty to defeat them in   
order to keep Juuban safe."  
  
The senshi heard their leader, and heeded her call. They all  
started preparing to unleash their most devastating attacks on the two  
youma who had dared to make them look like fools.  
  
All except for Makoto, of course, whom Ami had left lying on  
the ground beside Ranma. She groaned and hugged Ranma tightly, a smile  
on her pretty face.  
  
*****  
  
"Eeeek! Help, it's a pervert!"  
  
The cries of various female residents in Juuban rang out in  
the night as, one by one, they became victims of the greatest, most  
powerful panty thief who had ever lived. Security alarms and locked  
doors alike were unable to deter him.  
  
Such was the power of Happosai.  
  
He didn't really come all the way from Nerima just to steal  
panties, though. Or rather, he didn't come all the way from Nerima just   
to steal these regular, common people's undergarments. Tonight, he was   
after a much bigger prize. Recent events had resulted in Ranma getting  
involved with the famous Sailor Senshi, and their ever-elusive panties.   
All he had to do was stay in the general area, wait for Ranma to cause  
a big disturbance, and he would have his chance to finally get at them.   
  
He would have to use his somewhat different techniques to get  
them of course. For years he had relied on stealth and speed to see him  
through on his raids. He would wait, sometimes for days but often just  
for a few minutes, for a stash of silky darlings to be left vulnerable.  
The moment he saw his chance, he would strike. By the time the victim  
noticed the crime, it would already be too late.  
  
This was not an option with the Senshi.  
  
A search of every single house in Juuban failed to reveal their  
place of residence, so it was safe to assume that they did not live in  
the area. As such, he had no idea where to find the place where they  
kept their undies. He would have to actually free the delicate wisps of  
cloth from their owners as they were being worn!  
  
That was why it was important to get as much practice in as  
possible. It wouldn't do to make a mistake against those magical types.  
There was no telling what they might do to him given the chance. On  
this mission, mistakes would not be tolerated.  
  
Happosai stayed put in his hiding place above the second-floor  
window of a house while his recent victims raised a commotion in the  
surrounding neighborhood. Sooner or later, the lady of the house would  
hear them and open her window to investigate. That would be his cue to  
quickly clamber through the window and into the house, where he could  
use the furniture as hiding places to properly position himself for a  
strike.  
  
It took a while, but the woman in the room eventually opened  
the window to see what all the noise was about. Using skills honed  
through years of practice, Happosai entered the window through the  
space above the woman's head and immediately dove under the bed for  
cover. Unlike before, however, he had no intention of lying in wait  
for the commotion to die down and taking the woman's panties at his  
leisure. This time, he planned to get the actual pair she was wearing.  
  
He watched the woman look outside, even hearing the curses  
she muttered under her breath directed towards the pervert everyone  
was shouting about outside. Luckily for him, she was only wearing  
an oversized shirt to bed. This would make it easier to get at his  
prize. It would also better simulate the clothes worn by the senshi,  
the designer of which must have had 'easy access' in mind when he  
did so.  
  
He carefully retrieved a small bomb from within his clothing.  
It wasn't nearly as strong as the ones he used against Ranma. It was  
designed to explode in mid-air and probably wouldn't even damage the  
surrounding furniture. However, it would serve to distract the woman  
long enough for him to steal her underwear before she even knew what  
hit her.  
  
He quietly rolled out of the bed and threw the bomb into the  
air. As planned, it created minimum damage but caused maximum noise.  
The woman threw up her hands and started screaming. Using the noise  
as his cover, Happosai moved with blinding speed towards the woman.  
He prepared himself for his act, jumped into the air towards her,  
raised the shirt she was wearing, then jumped out through the window  
with all the speed he could muster.  
  
Foiled!  
  
Unbelievable as it may seem, the woman wasn't actually wearing  
any panties at all. All his careful preparation had been for naught.  
How disappointing. He dejectedly started jumping from roof to roof,  
looking through windows for other possible victims. He had just spied  
a promising young girl sleeping in bed when he felt a sharp sting on  
his back.  
  
With a loud cry of pain, he fell onto a roof head-first. He  
got up slowly and reached behind himself to see what had hit him. He  
pulled the offending object out and held it up in front of him for  
closer inspection. It turned out to be a rose with a sharp, pointed  
stem. He immediately straightened up and used his aura to search for  
the man who had thrown it at him.   
  
He needn't have bothered. The man was going to give away his  
location anyway.  
  
Happosai was startled out of his concentration when he heard  
someone clearing his throat from behind him. There was a tall man  
standing on a post behind him. The man was wearing black pants, a   
black tuxedo, and a white shirt underneath it. He also wore a mask  
to hide his identity. Happosai had to fight not to laugh. Suddenly,  
without warning, the man started to speak.  
  
"A woman's underwear is a sacred thing. Perverts such as you,  
who steal undergarments from defenseless females, are the lowest of  
the low. Return what you have stolen and leave this place, lest I  
visit you with my wrath."  
  
Happosai yawned. If _this_ was the famous Tuxedo Kamen he had  
heard so much about, the senshi's panties were as good as stolen  
already! He dropped his sack of goodies onto the roof and fell into  
an attacking stance. This wouldn't take long at all.  
  
*****  
  
"Crescent Beam Shower!"  
  
Minako missed hitting Shampoo with her attack by a wide margin,  
but succeeded in making ugly burn marks all over one of the remaining  
walls of Makoto's living room. She cursed under her breath. If only her  
attack was bigger and did more damage, it wouldn't be so hard to hit  
her marks. She looked over at her companions, who likewise hadn't hit  
either of the youma but had all but trashed what was left of Makoto's  
living room. Usagi was shouting over the noise of the battle.  
  
"Don't lose hope, girls. We may not have hit them yet, but they  
haven't touched us either!"  
  
Ami replied cautiously. "Um... I think that the main reason we  
haven't gotten hit yet is that they're pretty much ignoring us. Look,  
they're only fighting each other."  
  
Usagi watched Lilith and Shampoo as they bounded all over the  
room, simultaneously dodging each other's and the senshi's attacks.  
She frowned.  
  
"Don't fall for their trick! They're just trying to set us up  
by pretending not to be after us. Look, they've been fighting for a  
while but they haven't hit each other yet. They're obviously working  
with each other. Hit them with everything you've got!"  
  
Ami sighed loudly, then started charging up for a Shabon Spray  
Freezing. On the floor near her feet, Makoto sighed and cuddled closer  
to Ranma.  
  
Meanwhile, on the other side of the room, Lilith and Shampoo  
were busy trying to get an attack through the other's defenses. Lilith  
blocked a kick from the purple-haired Amazon, then retaliated with  
a kick of her own.   
  
Shampoo jumped into the air and twisted to avoid Lilith's kick  
as well as dodge a burst of fire from the senshi in red. They fought  
so... indiscriminately. She was starting to regret helping them escape  
Lilith's spell. Landing on the ground, she stepped back to avoid a  
sweep from Lilith and brought her foot down hard, aiming for Lilith's  
knee. The young succubus was too fast for her, however, and managed to  
retract the leg in time to avoid her attack. She shook her head and  
grinned at Lilith, who grinned right back.  
  
"You is very fast. Very good at fighting. Not like when Shampoo  
watch fight with girl in green skirt."  
  
Lilith chuckled. "You saw that? I was just playing around then.  
I didn't want to end the fight too quickly."  
  
Shampoo dodged an attack from Usagi before replying. "They is  
very annoying, no? Was bad idea to help them before. You want to take  
them out before finish fight?"  
  
Lilith grinned and nodded. "Sure!"  
  
*****  
  
"I don't know what to do anymore, Yuka. I _liked_ it when  
Ranma was nice to me, but I wish he could be like that when I  
was being myself. It's all so confusing!"  
  
Yuka listened silently as her friend related the recent  
events surrounding Ranma. She would never say it out loud, of  
course, but she was actually happy that Akane's relationship with  
Ranma was on the rocks. She had never really liked Ranma. He was  
arrogant, self-centered, selfish, insecure, and chauvinistic. If  
the latest rumors were true, he even had the nerve to run off  
with Ms. Hinako to some tropical island! Akane was too good for  
him. She deserved someone better than a jerk like Ranma.  
  
"That's alright, Akane. Ranma's not the only guy in the  
world. Even if the two of you don't work out, there are still  
plenty of other guys out there. Better men than Ranma. Guys that  
would like you for yourself. You heard the rumors. Why should you  
lose any sleep over some guy who ran off with another woman?"  
  
Akane smiled at Yuka. She was such a good friend. "Thanks,  
Yuka. You're right. I should stop trying to be something I'm not.  
I'm just going to be myself from now on and if Ranma doesn't like  
it, well... it's his loss!"  
  
Yuka smiled back. "That's right! Who needs Ranma anyway?  
You could do a lot better than him."  
  
Akane nodded. "Yeah, he's not even that cute. He's just sort  
of ruggedly handsome, especially when he's fighting and he's got  
that glint in his eyes that tells you he's loving every second of  
it, or when he looks straight into your eyes after rescuing you  
from marrying some foreign prince who kidnapped you. I don't need  
that in my life."  
  
Shortly after saying those words, Akane burst into tears and  
started crying again. Yuka shook her head sadly. Akane would need  
a little bit more time to come to terms with Ranma's departure.  
  
*****  
  
"Hmmm... things are getting more and more interesting."  
  
A lone figure stood on the rooftop overlooking Makoto's  
apartment building. Her feminine figure was silhouetted against the  
light of the moon as she watched the battle continue with interest.  
For no apparent reason, she started laughing maniacally. After a  
few seconds, she stopped laughing as suddenly as she had begun.  
  
"It looks like the girls are about to run into a little  
trouble. I may have to step in and help them. I haven't fought a  
real live succubus in centuries. This should be interesting."  
  
She shifted her position a bit. While she was quite used to  
wearing tight outfits with short skirts, this one was just a little  
bit more... breezy than what she normally wore. It wasn't that big  
of a deal, really, but she wondered how the distraction would affect  
her fighting form. It looked as if she would soon find out.  
  
She looked into Makoto's apartment and found that the  
succubus and Amazon seemed to have struck some kind of truce. The  
girls would never be able to win now. She adjusted her clothing  
one more time and prepared to jump into the fight in case the  
girls couldn't handle it anymore.  
  
*****  
  
Author's Notes  
  
The first story arc is finally starting to come together!  
Yay! Now if I could only find more free time to write....  
  
I would like to thank Kevin Henry, Groo, Egan Mandreck, Tracy  
Poff, Chester, Griever, Farmer, Sebastian Rynders, and Vex for all  
the help they have given me for this chapter. Watch for more on the  
next chapter, which will come out soon.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	17. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Usagi, Belldandy, Minako, or any of the  
other beautiful and exotic characters found in this fic. Damn.  
  
Warning: The author of this fanfic is currently suffering from a case  
of Boku no Seinen volume 5 deficiency.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keiichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 15  
by Jose Argao  
"Haruka-papa! Haruka-papa! Wake up!"  
  
Haruka opened her eyes groggily and was greeted by the sight  
of Hotaru's worried face as the young girl stood over her bed. Despite  
the fact that she was very tired and still half-asleep, her addled mind   
was still able to come up with the response most suited to the  
situation.  
  
"Don't worry, honey. There aren't any monsters under your bed.  
I already checked."  
  
Having done her duty as a parent, Haruka closed her eyes and  
went back to sleep. Moments later, Hotaru was shaking her awake again.  
  
"Papa, I'm not worried about monsters under my bed. I'm too  
old for that. I'm worried about a dream I had... Ranma was in it!"  
  
Haruka opened her eyes and replied sleepily, "You don't have  
to worry about a thing, honey. It's perfectly normal. Even _I_ dream  
of Ranma-kun sometimes. Go back to sleep."  
  
Haruka closed her eyes once more. Hotaru started shaking her  
awake again. She sighed and opened her eyes.   
  
"What?"  
  
Hotaru replied quickly, fearful that Haruka would fall asleep  
before she was able to finish. "It wasn't just Ranma in my dream, Papa.  
There was a beautiful woman with him!."  
  
Haruka immediately sat up on her bed. She smiled at Hotaru and  
hugged the young girl tightly against herself.  
  
"Everything's fine, Hotaru-chan. It's okay for girls to like  
other girls. There's nothing wrong about it. You musn't let anyone  
tell you otherwise!"   
  
Haruka grinned, leaned closer to Hotaru, then whispered  
conspiratorially, "So tell me, were they doing anything interesting  
with you in your dream? Ranma and the woman, I mean?"  
  
Hotaru blushed as she extricated herself from Haruka's grasp.  
"Um... that's not what I meant. I wasn't in the dream at all! The  
woman, she wasn't normal.... She had these bat wings sticking out from  
her back and head! She and Ranma... they were kissing! It seemed so  
real! Ranma could be in trouble!"  
  
Haruka's face became serious as she held Hotaru at arm's  
length. The girl was quite obviously bisexual in nature, but her mind  
was conditioned to think that having feelings for members of the same  
sex was evil, even demonic. It would explain the physical appearance  
of the woman in her dream.   
  
Haruka remembered how she herself had felt at Hotaru's age,  
wrestling with emotions inside her that she did not think a proper  
girl would have. She could still recall all the times she had gazed  
longingly at some of her prettier classmates, then realized what she  
was doing and stopped immediately, berating herself for doing so.   
  
She went on to endure years of guilt and sadness before she  
finally accepted that her needs were different from a normal girl's.  
She would not allow Hotaru to go through the same experience if she  
could help it.  
  
Haruka took a deep breath before speaking. "Hotaru-chan, I'm  
about to tell you something very important. You must listen closely to  
it, okay?"  
  
Hotaru nodded slowly as Haruka continued. "I know that you're  
at the age where your body is undergoing all sorts of changes. Most of  
those changes will be physical, but a few of them will be psychological  
in nature. Some of the changes may disturb or even shock you, but you  
must not deny their existence. Do you understand?"  
  
Hotaru frowned and shook her head. "Um... not really."  
  
Haruka tried again. "Look, what I'm trying to say is that if  
you suddenly get the urge to look a little bit more closely at the  
other girls while they change clothes for gym class, it doesn't mean  
that you're a freak, got it?"  
  
Hotaru wasn't exactly sure why she needed to be told these  
things, but she nodded anyway. "Yes, Papa. But my dream--"  
  
"Your dream was just that, a dream. It was probably caused by  
all the hormones your body is producing right now. Just remember what  
I told you and go back to sleep, Hotaru-chan."  
  
Hotaru bit her lower lip, thinking about what her papa had  
said. She wasn't sure what to make of the part about looking at other  
girls while changing for gym class, but she trusted her papa. If  
Haruka said everything was fine, then everything was fine. Her face  
brightened and her voice became more cheerful as she replied.  
  
"Okay, papa. I'll go back to sleep now. Good night!"  
  
Haruka watched Hotaru as the young girl padded out of the room  
and closed the door behind her. She was just about to go to sleep when  
she heard the sound of muffled giggling from beside her. She turned  
over to face Michiru.  
  
"Have you been awake all this time?"  
  
Michiru's eyes remained closed for a few seconds, but her body  
trembled as she fought to keep from giggling. Finally, when she could  
no longer stand it, she opened her eyes and laughed out loud.  
  
"That must have been the dumbest father-daughter talk I've ever  
heard in my life!"  
  
Haruka frowned. "And how many father-daughter talks have you  
had the pleasure of listening to, exactly?"  
  
Michiru grinned. "Not too many, but enough to know that they  
don't normally involve encouraging the child to peep on girls changing  
for gym class."  
  
Haruka remained frowning. "I wasn't encouraging her. Don't put  
words into my mouth."  
  
Seeing that Haruka was getting annoyed, Michiru decided to  
modify her tone. "Is that so? Maybe I can find something else to put in  
your mouth."  
  
Haruka's face brightened. "Well...."  
  
*****  
  
"Yes, Mistress. Your wish is my command."  
  
Morrigan giggled. She was almost giddy with excitement. Ranma  
Saotome now belonged to her! With his help, she would be able to take  
energy from anyone she desired, male or female. Together with Lilith,  
the three of them would become the most powerful force the world had  
ever seen. Not even the gods would be able to go against them.  
  
Before any of that could come to pass, however, she still had  
some work to do on him. She kissed him lightly on his lips, delighting  
in the moan of pleasure that escaped him. She continued raining soft  
kisses on him, moving lower and lower until her lips were hovering over   
his neck. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, opened her mouth,  
then sunk her teeth into his flesh.  
  
"Aaaaah...."  
  
Ranma shuddered as pleasure radiated out from his neck and  
spread out towards the rest of his body. His arms instinctively went  
around Morrigan and held her tightly against himself. After a few  
seconds, he felt her withdraw her teeth from his neck. She licked his  
punctured skin a few times before finally drawing away from him.  
  
"That was nice, Ranchan. Do you realize that we now share an  
unbreakable bond? I have just given you my essence. It will increase  
your strength to levels no mere human could ever hope to achieve. It  
will also bind you to my will.  
  
"The process has left me much weaker than before, however. I  
have to depend on you and Lilith to provide me with nourishment from  
now on. We are now completely dependent on each other to survive. You  
are mine now, and I am yours."  
  
Ranma held Morrigan in his arms, happiness filling his being  
as he stroked his mistress's body. Her words were true, obviously. They  
belonged to each other now. No one would ever be able to separate them.  
He would kill anyone that even tried. He breathed deeply, her scent  
flooding his senses. His mind could only come up with one reply.  
  
"Yes, mistress, I will provide you with all the energy you  
need. You and Lilith will never have to go hungry again."  
  
Morrigan raised her lips toward his and kissed him deeply, her  
tongue dancing around in his mouth. After they separated, she winked at  
him and started talking again.  
  
"I have something for you, Ranma. A wedding present of sorts.  
It's my gift to you for giving yourself to me."  
  
Ranma smiled at her. "Is it something I'll like?"  
  
Morrigan grinned mischievously at him. "Oh I'm sure you're  
going to love her!"  
  
*****  
  
"Shit."  
  
Tuxedo Kamen did not normally swear. It was something that he  
associated with people without class. It simply wasn't proper. At the  
moment, however, he wasn't really thinking about what was proper.  
  
He was thinking about sex.  
  
Normally, that wouldn't be such a big deal. It's perfectly  
normal for a healthy, virile young man such as himself to spend large  
amounts of time thinking of nothing but the act of copulation. However,  
he wasn't just any young man. He was a prince. Prince Endymion, to be  
exact. He was supposed to be above such things. Despite this, he could  
not keep his mind from drifting to thoughts that he had previously  
considered unthinkable.  
  
It was all that stupid old man's fault, too.  
  
He went through his recent battle with the old man in his mind,  
as much from the need to find something sensible to think about as the  
desire to figure out just where he had gone wrong.  
  
*****  
  
"What's the matter, sonny? Are you just going to stand there  
all night long? I'm kind of in a hurry, you know. Ah, my pretties!"  
  
Mamoru struggled to keep his emotions in check. Not only was  
the old pervert mocking his opponent, he was also brazenly rubbing his  
face on the underwear he had stolen! Such a vile miscreant deserved no  
mercy. He retrieved a small rose from his pocket, the stem sharpened  
to a fine point. With a casual flick of his hand, he launched the rose  
directly at the old pervert's hand. The projectile sailed through the  
air at great speed, headed straight for its target. Mamoru smiled as  
the rose approached his opponent. This battle would be as quick as it  
was easy.  
  
"Well, that was pretty quick! Not nearly fast enough, though.  
You'll need to be a lot faster than that to hit me!"  
  
Mamoru blinked his eyes in shock. Just moments ago, the old  
pervert was standing on a rooftop in front of him. Just as his rose was  
about to hit his target, the old man disappeared. Mamoru whirled around  
towards where the taunt had come from, and saw the old pervert standing  
on another rooftop, laughing. The pervert cleared his throat loudly,  
then began speaking.  
  
"You've bitten off more than you can chew, boy. Don't you  
recognize who you're going up against? I am the great Happosai!"  
  
Mamoru frowned as he struggled to recall the names of all the  
nobles of the Moon Kingdom. Try as he would, he could recall neither a  
noble nor a high-ranking official named Happosai. The old man was not  
a reincarnated member of the Moon Kingdom. He must have just gotten  
lucky in avoiding the rose. He turned up his nose at the arrogant old  
bastard and prepared to jump in for close combat.  
  
"The name Happosai is not familiar to me. I have never heard  
of you. You might have gotten lucky in avoiding my initial attack, but  
I assure you that you will not be able to run away from the next one."  
  
Happosai grinned. Tuxedo Kamen was proving to be nearly as  
arrogant as Ranma, but with less than half the skill. He took a lacy  
pair of panties from his bag and rubbed his face on its surface.  
  
"Ah, my pretty...."  
  
When Mamoru saw Happosai turn away from him, he immediately  
jumped from the post he was standing on and lunged at his opponent.  
With all the strength and speed at his disposal, he raised his cane  
and brought it down upon the old pervert.  
  
Suddenly, he heard a voice whispering softly into his right  
ear. "Not nearly fast enough, boy."  
  
Before he could even recover from his attack, Mamoru found  
himself hurtling through the air at great speed. He fell onto the roof  
of a house several blocks away from his origin and smashed into its  
chimney. He struggled to open his eyes and found Happosai standing over  
him, grinning. The old man laughed loudly for a few seconds before  
looking down on him and talking.  
  
"You're too weak to beat me, boy. Give it up. If you go down  
on your knees and apologize to me right now, I'll forget that this  
battle ever happened."  
  
Mamoru forced himself to speak. He was down, but not out. If  
he could just stall for some time, he would recover enough to launch  
another attack.  
  
"I shall never apologize to a disgusting pervert like you. You  
are beneath me."  
  
Happosai frowned at Mamoru's words. "Just what did you mean by  
that?"  
  
Mamoru smiled. He was getting to Happosai. "You heard what I  
said. Perverts like you are on a level far below where I'm at. You're  
all a bunch of disgusting animals!"  
  
Happosai's face became grim. "An animal, am I? Well, we'll just  
see about that."  
  
After saying those words, Happosai walked slowly towards the  
fallen Tuxedo Kamen. He formed his right hand into a fist and raised it   
high into the air.  
  
"Don't be afraid, sonny. This won't hurt a bit."  
  
*****  
  
Then Happosai poked him with his left finger and pushed into  
Mamoru's side. Mamoru was so focused on Happosai's right hand that he  
completely missed where the real attack was coming from. Immediately  
after getting hit, he found himself getting extremely drowsy. The  
last thing he could remember was Happosai saying a few parting words  
as he leapt into the night.  
  
"The pressure point I hit will stimulate your body's healing.  
You'll wake up feeling refreshed, with all your injuries completely  
gone. I'll let you deal with the side-effects yourself. I'm sure that  
a fine, upstanding man like you wouldn't have any trouble with them.  
It's not like you're a pervert or anything, right?"  
  
And now all he could think about was sex. Mamoru couldn't  
understand it, but Happosai had somehow awakened his basest desires  
and increased their strength a thousandfold. It was getting harder  
and harder to think straight. All he could think about was... was...  
was... what was that?  
  
Mamoru craned his neck around, breathing deeply as he did so.  
A smile formed on his face. Yes, he could smell them.  
  
Women.  
  
*****  
  
"Crescent Beam!"  
  
Minako fired her projectile directly at Shampoo, but the  
purple-haired amazon warrior dodged it with ease. She and her friends  
had been hitting Shampoo and Lilith with everything they had, but  
they hadn't hit either of the two even once. She was starting to get  
tired. They were being backed into a corner now. She turned to Usagi,  
who was panting for breath.  
  
"Don't lose hope, girls. It's not over yet! We... we can  
do this!"  
  
Despite her brave words, Minako could tell that Usagi was  
close to tears. Ami had taken a direct hit from one of Lilith's attacks  
and Rei was supporting her while firing off a string of weak flame  
bursts to keep their opponents at bay. Makoto was still unconscious,  
lying on the opposite side of the room from them. Ranma was still  
beside her.  
  
Is this how it would all end? Was she fated to die at the hands   
of two purple-haired youma tonight? She raised her right arm above her  
as a chain of small hearts charged with the power of Venus spiraled all   
around her. She had to win somehow. She had to survive. She could not  
allow herself to lose. Sailor Venus would not die a virgin!  
  
"Venus Love-Me Chain!"  
  
*****  
  
Makoto Kino was bound, gagged, blindfolded, naked, and hanging  
by her wrists from the ceiling. She had no idea where she was, how she  
got there, or what was going to happen to her.  
  
Oddly enough, she did not feel scared or uncomfortable.  
  
The last thing she remembered before waking up in her current  
state was seeing her living room devastated by Usagi and Ami. She had  
blacked out after that. For all she knew, she could have been out of it  
for a few minutes or a few days. Anything could have happened while she  
was unconscious. Makoto knew that she should at least feel concerned  
about what had happened to Ranma, but she didn't. It seemed as though  
she could feel nothing but calm. She was thinking about this when she  
started hearing voices.  
  
"She's right over here, Ranchan."  
  
Makoto strained her ears to hear more. She had heard a woman's  
voice. Perhaps her captor had come to see her. She hoped she would  
finally find out where she was. She also wanted to know if she had  
been given any drugs before waking up. Despite her knowledge that she  
was in a very bad situation, she could not bring herself to muster  
any negative emotions.  
  
"Mako-chan!"  
  
That was Ranma's voice! Maybe Ranma had come to rescue her!  
It was almost too good to be true. Like a fairy tale, even. She had  
to repay his kindness, of course. She didn't have any money. Makoto  
wondered if he would allow her to repay him in other, more enjoyable  
ways. Makoto would have called out to him, but her gag prevented her  
from making any sounds other than pathetic grunts.  
  
"You are the only woman for me, mistress. Though I appreciate  
your gift, I have no need for her. Please take her away."  
  
Wait a minute! Mistress? What the hell was Ranma talking about?   
Who was he talking to? He sounded almost as if he hadn't come to rescue   
her.  
  
"I did not bring her here simply to be your toy, Ranchan. She  
is here to serve a greater purpose than that. She is here to appease my  
hunger. Our hunger, actually."  
  
Makoto frowned. She could not really understand what Ranma and  
the woman were talking about. Why wasn't Ranma setting her free? Didn't  
he recognize her? Granted, the gag and blindfold _did_ cover a sizable  
part of her face, but most boys she knew would have been able to tell  
who she was simply by staring at her chest.  
  
"Forgive me, Mistress. I do not understand what you mean."  
  
The woman chuckled before replying. "It really is quite simple.  
You see, my sister and I need to feed on a special kind of energy in  
order to survive. We are well-equipped to harvest this energy from men,   
but they tend to run out rather quickly and need to rest for a bit  
before we can feed on them again. We usually need to feed on up to six  
men before our hunger is satisfied. Even then, the energy is usually  
used up within five days or so. Women, on the other hand, can produce  
tremendous amounts of energy and do not require rest periods at all.  
Just one woman can provide more than enough energy to last us weeks!  
Unfortunately, Lilith and I cannot directly harvest energy from women.  
That's where you come in."  
  
So _that's_ what all this was about! They were going to drain  
her of her energy! Makoto knew that she should have been terrified, but  
she was unable to summon any emotion other than the same sense of calm  
that she had been feeling since she awoke. She strained her ears to  
hear the rest of what the woman was saying.  
  
"Generally speaking, adapting a man to siphon energy for us  
is an exercise in futility. They cannot harvest energy continously and  
they do not have the luxury of our innate powers of seduction to aid in  
acquiring suitable targets. However, you are different. You are able to  
attract women simply by being yourself, an ability that most men lack.  
Also, ten years of martial arts training has conditioned your body to  
remain up to the task long after lesser men have fallen. You are just  
the man we need, Ranchan. The ritual we performed a while ago has given  
you the ability to take energy from women and transfer that energy to  
me. Take this girl's energy, Ranchan. Can't you see how much she wants  
it?"  
  
Makoto had barely heard the woman's voice when she felt herself  
suddenly getting incredibly excited. She had never felt so unbelievably  
aroused before.  
  
"Very well, Mistress. I will do as you command."  
  
Electric shocks of pleasure crawled all over Makoto's skin as  
she listened to Ranma's footsteps as he walked closer to her. The  
anticipation was almost unbearable. She wanted him. She wanted him _now_!  
  
Seconds later, Makoto felt Ranma trace the lines of her face  
with one of his fingers. All coherent thought left her mind after that.  
  
*****  
  
"I need to go."  
  
Nabiki stopped unpacking and turned towards her companion. She  
gestured towards a door on the far side of the room.  
  
"The bathroom's over there. You can take a shower too, if you  
want. I already put my soap and shampoo in the medicine cabinet. You  
can use those if you want. I can't believe you went on this trip and  
didn't think to bring anything but manga and clothes!"  
  
Hinako shook her head. "No, you don't understand. I need to go  
outside. It's very important."  
  
Nabiki frowned. "What for? It's too late to go looking for  
Ranma, you know. We'll start tommorow. You need your rest."  
  
Hinako's face was serious as she replied. "There's a huge  
concentration of battle aura not too far from here. Can't you feel it?"  
  
She couldn't, of course. Nabiki thought for a few moments  
before replying. "Battle aura, huh? Is it Ranma?"  
  
Hinako shrugged. "I'm not sure. It might be. All I know is  
that the concentration is very powerful. To have that much aura  
floating around is very dangerous. Whoever's responsible for it is  
probably a delinquent who needs to be taught a lesson."  
  
Nabiki weighed her options carefully. If it turned out that  
Ranma wasn't connected to whatever Hinako was feeling, Nabiki would be  
endangering her life for nothing by going there. She had never been to  
Juuban, so she had no way of knowing if these concentrations of auras  
were a normal occurence or something that only started when Ranma got  
there.  
  
Nabiki sighed as she started putting her coat on. "Well, I  
guess we have to go there and investigate. Let's go!"  
  
*****  
  
"Are you alright now?"  
  
Yuka looked at her best friend with pity in her eyes. Ranma had  
really done a number on Akane this time. What was he thinking, going to  
Juuban so suddenly like he did? Didn't he care about Akane at all? What  
if the rumors of him and Hinako eloping were true?  
  
Akane smiled at Yuka as she settled in to sleep. She didn't  
want to appear weak in front of her friend. "I'm fine now. Don't   
worry about me. I was just swept up by my emotions, that's all. Now  
that I've had a chance to think clearly, I'm practically over Ranma  
already. He doesn't care about me anyway, so why should I care about  
him? He can go do what he likes in Juuban for all I care."  
  
"I see. I guess you wouldn't want to hear what I have to say,  
Ms. Akane."  
  
The two startled girls immediately turned towards the ceiling,  
where the sound had come from. They were greeted by the sight of  
Konatsu hanging upside-down and looking at them.  
  
"Drawer attack!"  
  
Suddenly, before the girls could react, the clothes drawer in  
Akane's room sprouted arms and legs and jumped into the air. It tried  
to punch Konatsu, but the kunoichi was able to dodge the attack by  
leaning slightly to the side. The drawer fell to the ground with a loud   
thud, rolled over a few times, struggled to stand up, then sprouted a  
head. He retrieved a lacy pair of panties from one of his drawers and  
brandished it threateningly at Konatsu.  
  
"Who are you and why are you here? I'm warning you... I have  
Akane's panties and I'm not afraid to use them!"  
  
A smile appeared on Yuka's face as she recognized who was  
inside the drawer. "Tsubasa-kun, you're here! I was wondering where  
you were. I thought you'd already left!"  
  
Tsubasa squirmed out of his costume and smiled at Yuka, his  
teeth glittering. "I decided to stay behind and protect you, just in  
case some strange man decides to try entering your bedroom at night.  
You can never be too careful these days, you know."  
  
Akane stood up from her bed, walked over to Tsubasa, and  
smashed his face in with a mallet. She formed her right hand into a  
fist as she started speaking.  
  
"Just what do you think you're doing, sneaking into my room  
and threatening Konatsu with my underwear!"  
  
While Yuka tended to the fallen Tsubasa, Akane took her panties  
and put them into another drawer, checking to make sure it was a real  
drawer this time. She then turned back towards Konatsu, who was fanning   
Tsubasa's face while Yuka tried to revive him.  
  
"As for you, what were you going to say to me?"  
  
Konatsu just shook his head. "Oh, you won't be interested in it  
at all, Ms. Akane. I'd better go now."  
  
Akane grabbed Konatsu by the shoulder as he turned to leave.  
  
"What do you mean? How can you know I won't be interested if  
you haven't told me yet?"  
  
Konatsu grinned shyly at her. "Well, you don't care about Ranma  
anymore so you wouldn't be interested in what I have to say."  
  
Akane's eyes grew wide. "You were going to tell me something  
about Ranma? What is it?"  
  
Konatsu shook his head again. "Well, you wouldn't be interested  
in it anyway so--"  
  
Akane quickly interrupted Konatsu. "I _am_ interested, so tell  
me!"  
  
Konatsu's face became a mask of confusion. "I don't understand.  
Does this mean that you care about Ranma now?"  
  
Akane rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Yes! I mean, no, but I  
still want to hear what it was that you wanted to tell me."  
  
Konatsu thought for a few seconds before answering. "Okay, if  
you say so. I just came by to tell you that Ranma might be in trouble.  
I think some people might be out to kill him."  
  
Akane sighed with relief. She had thought that Konatsu had  
come to tell her that Ranma had really eloped with Ms. Hinako. Now that  
she knew it was just some people making an attempt on his life, she  
could rest easy.  
  
"That's nothing to worry about, Konatsu. Ranma already has lots   
of people trying to kill him. He can handle a few more."  
  
Konatsu frowned. "Well, it seems that you didn't find it too  
interesting after all. I'm still going to Juuban though, just to check  
on him. Those pretty women seemed like they meant business."  
  
Akane frowned. "Pretty women? You mean the people trying to  
kill Ranma are pretty women?"  
  
Konatsu nodded. "Yeah, two of them. There was a beautiful lady  
and a pretty young girl. They were saying something about taking Ranma  
to heaven."  
  
Akane's lips trembled. This was exactly what she had feared.  
Barely a day had passed since Ranma left for Juuban, and he had already  
found two women willing to play his perverted games with him. He had  
to be stopped! As the only woman who could see through his perverted  
ways, she was just the person to do it.  
  
Akane tapped Konatsu's shoulder before the kunouchi was able to  
jump out the window. "Wait for me. I'm coming with you."  
  
*****  
  
"Sailor Mercury, we need to retreat! Can we teleport out of  
here?"  
  
Usagi turned to her blue-haired friend as Ami rapidly punched  
buttons on the keyboard of her computer. Moments later, Ami shook her  
head as she replied.  
  
"We don't have enough energy to teleport. Even if we could,  
we'd have to leave Makoto and Ranma behind."  
  
Usagi wracked her brain for a way out of this. She hadn't  
expected their opponents to be this strong. Why couldn't they just drop   
dead after being blasted a couple of times like normal youma did? Ami  
was injured, Rei and Minako were tired. She herself was almost drained.  
Their opponents had them up against a wall and were closing in on  
them. It would take a miracle to save them now.  
  
Shampoo smiled at the senshi. "You is much weaker than Shampoo  
expected. No challenge. Fight over now. Shampoo is won."  
  
Lilith turned to her temporary ally. "Hey, wait a minute! After  
we beat them, you still have to beat me. I'm not gonna... gonna...."  
  
Shampoo smiled at the young succubus. She retrieved a small  
bag from one of her pockets and threw it into the air. It exploded and  
released more of the same powder she had used to break Lilith's mental  
hold on the senshi.  
  
"Amazon anti-succubus powder. Very useful. Immediately relieve  
succubus mind control. If inhale by succubus, drain energy in twenty  
minutes. You is feeling weak now, little succubus?"  
  
Lilith glared at Shampoo. She had been played for a fool! "You  
betrayed me!"  
  
Shampoo chuckled. "Shampoo do no such thing. Agreement was  
help each other beat senshi, yes? Senshi is beaten. Now, you is beaten  
too."  
  
"For love and justice I am the beautiful sailor-suited soldier  
Sailor Pluto! I shall punish you in the name of Pluto!  
  
Shampoo whirled around and turned towards where the sound  
had come from. She saw the silhuette of a woman standing on top of  
the opposite building. She couldn't tell conclusively because of  
the distance, but the woman seemed to be dancing around.  
  
"Dead Scream!"  
  
The explosion that followed rocked the entire building. The  
last thing that Shampoo heard was the sound of her own head hitting  
one of the remaining walls as she was thrown off by the explosion. Ami  
thought that it would collapse from the stress, but it miraculously  
remained standing. She hoped that Ranma and Makoto were alright. When  
the dust had cleared, a new figure stood in the middle of the room.  
  
"Sailor Pluto?"  
  
Usagi's jaw dropped. Was she really looking at Sailor Pluto?  
The last time she had checked, senshi uniforms did not leave their  
midriffs exposed. Neither did they show generous amounts of cleavage.  
Sailor Pluto's uniform was also black, not orange like Minako's. The  
skirts were also supposed to be a bit longer. However, Setsuna was the  
only person she knew of that could do the Dead Scream attack. The  
time staff also looked real. The long, flowing green hair was also  
the same. What had happened to Setsuna? She looked like one of those  
models in dirty magazines!  
  
The scantily-clad woman stood still as the last of the dust  
settled. "This battle is over now. None of you are in any condition to  
fight me. I will be taking Ranma now. If anyone wishes to fight me, I  
shall destroy her."  
  
"I'll take that challenge."  
  
The occupants of the room all turned towards the other side of  
the room, where a beautiful woman with silver hair was standing. She was  
wearing a tight cream-colored sweater and hip-hugging white pants that  
showed off her figure to full effect. Sailor Pluto pointed an accusing  
finger at the woman.  
  
"Oh, it's you. I'm afraid I can't allow myself to lose to you  
this time, Urd."  
  
Ami's breath caught in her throat. The woman was Urd, the same  
person Setsuna had originally warned them about. If she wasn't mistaken  
then Urd was responsible for all of their current problems. Urd was the  
person who had originally messed up the timelines, after all.  
  
"Stay right where you are if you don't want to get hurt,  
delinquents. Ranma is my responsibility. If anyone is taking him home,  
it'll be me!"  
  
They all turned towards one of the corners, where a teenaged  
Hinako had a fifty yen coin pointed at them. Nabiki stood a few meters  
away from her, trying to look inconspicuous. Setsuna was about to say  
something about how it was silly of anyone to expect her to bow down  
to a coin-wielding adversary when a rose passed a few scant centimeters  
from her face and embedded itself onto the floor.   
  
They turned towards the top of the apartment building that she  
had originally come from, and found that it was now occupied by a  
familiar figure wearing clothes that looked better suited for a formal  
dinner than fighting.   
  
"While I must admire your lovely female forms, it pains me to  
see you so concerned over a man other than myself. I am afraid that I  
must best you all in combat so as to establish that I am infinitely  
more worthy of your affection."  
  
Usagi was about to mention something corny to Tuxedo Kamen  
about her undying love for him and the fact that she didn't like how  
he was actively pursuing romantic relationships with other women in  
her presence but she was cut off by yet another new arrival.  
  
"Actually, I've always thought you were gay. I mean, look at  
you. You're not even half the man Master Ranma is!"  
  
Usagi turned towards where Makoto and Ranma had previously lain  
and found that they were both conscious. The words left her mouth  
before she could think of them.  
  
"Mako-chan, how could you say such a thing! Even if he _does_  
like to read Fushigi Yuugi, Mamo-chan's still a man! That is, I mean,  
Tuxedo Mask is still a man! As for you, Ranma, you should let go of me  
right now. It's not right for us to be doing that in public, you know."  
  
Usagi blinked, rubbed her eyes, then looked at Ranma again.  
Sure enough, he was holding her close to him while she ground her body  
lewdly against his side. Her voice trembled as she asked her question.  
  
"Who are _you_?"  
  
The girl in Ranma's arms gave Usagi the answer she feared the  
most. "Me? I'm Usagi of course!"  
  
Usagi turned to Ami, who had chosen to use the break in  
fighting to put bandages on her wounds.  
  
"Ami-chan, I don't understand! If she's me, and I'm over there,  
then who am I?"  
  
Ami used her visor to look at the girl grinding herself against  
Ranma, reminding herself to think non-sexual thoughts as she did so. A  
brief glance was enough to inform her of the girl's true identity.  
  
"That's not you, Usagi. That's Lilith, the girl we were  
fighting before."  
  
After hearing Ami's words, Lilith pouted and changed back into  
her true form. "Well, that was fun. I'm ready for my meal now, Ranma!"  
  
"Of course, Mistress Lilith."  
  
Ranma held Lilith's face in his hands, tilted her head up to  
his, and kissed her. Hard. Ami absently raised her hand to the side of  
her visor and pressed 'record'.  
  
"Hey, stop that! You're behaving like delinquents! Happo no Yen  
Coin Return!"  
  
Hinako let loose with a huge burst of energy, enough to level  
an entire building on contact. She never did feel comfortable watching  
public displays of affection. The projectile headed towards Lilith and  
Ranma at amazing speed, promising to inflict huge amounts of pain on  
them.  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
Right before Hinako's attack connected, it was canceled out by  
a field of electricity from Makoto, who had jumped between the kissing  
couple and the projectile.  
  
"I won't allow you to hurt Master Ranma!"  
  
Usagi's mouth fell open in shock. She couldn't understand what  
was happening. Not only was Makoto behaving strangely and calling  
Ranma her master, she had also managed to transform into her senshi  
form almost intantaneously. What was going on? She turned to Lilith,  
who had just finished kissing Ranma.  
  
Lilith smiled cutely at the assembled people before talking.  
"Mmmm... very nice. Thanks for the save, Mako-chan. I'm much better  
now, everyone. Look at this!"  
  
Lilith raised her right hand and a burst of energy shot out  
from her palm, exploding into a shower of colored light when it hit  
the ceiling.  
  
"Shadow Blade!"  
  
Nabiki quickly turned towards the woman called Urd, and  
found her avoiding an attack from another woman. She had never seen  
the new arrival before, but the woman had wings similar to the ones  
Lilith had. Their hair was also similar, though the new arrival's  
locks were longer than Lilith's. She looked older than Lilith as  
well. Perhaps they were sisters?  
  
The woman had lunged at Urd with a bladed wing, but Urd dodged  
the attack with ease. The woman's attack hit thin air as she passed  
through Urd's previous location. She continued running, jumped high  
into the air, flipped several times, and landed beside Lilith.  
  
"Good evening, everyone. Morrigan Aensland, pleased to meet  
you all."  
  
Urd sneered at Morrigan as she spoke. "If you thought that  
your sister's little display would distract me enough for that  
pathetic attack to actually connect, then you've got another thing  
coming."  
  
Electricity passed between the two women's eyes as they stared  
each other down. Mamoru chose this brief lull in speech to voice what  
was on his mind.  
  
"Before I beat you all up and make you fall in love with  
me, I would just like to say that I do not see why reading Fushigi  
Yuugi would not be an indication of manliness. Nuriko was hot!"  
  
Nabiki burst out laughing at Mamoru's words, then grew quiet  
when she saw that everyone was staring at her. Setsuna tapped the  
Time Staff on the floor, gaining the attention of everyone.  
  
"If everyone has already arrived, I propose that we get this  
fight over with. I have plenty of activities planned for myself and  
Ranma and I want to get started before the evening is over if that's  
alright with you." Setsuna paused and turned towards Usagi. "Usagi,  
will you be joining the battle? You didn't look too good when I  
arrived."  
  
Usagi looked expectantly at Ami, who gave her a thumbs up. She  
turned back towards Setsuna. "We're in."  
  
Setsuna turned towards the rest of the people. "Does anyone  
else want to say anything before we start?"  
  
Makoto shyly tugged on Ranma's shirt, then whispered something  
into his ear. Ranma raised his hand shortly afterwards.  
  
Setsuna turned towards him. "Yes?"  
  
Ranma waved his hand at the devastated apartment around them.  
"Mako-chan wants to ask if we could move this to the school's field.  
It doesn't look like the walls will hold out for much longer."  
  
Setsuna looked at the rest of the group. "Any objections? No?  
Very well."  
  
Setsuna tapped her staff twice on the ground, and a bright  
green light emanated from it. The would-be combatants were all  
enveloped in it. Moments later, the light died down. It left behind  
the remains of a wrecked apartment and a dazed Nabiki. She looked  
around her, then started walking towards the school.  
  
"Geez, she could have at least taken me with her!"  
  
*****  
  
Deep inside a secret underground facility, an unknown man  
sat behind his desk and pressed a button on a small keyboard located  
on one of the desk's corners. A large screen flickered to life in  
front of him. The image of a cloaked female figure appeared on the  
screen, her cloak's shadow obscuring her face.  
  
"The occupants have left the building. Target: Ranma Saotome  
was positively identified. Mission incomplete. Fighting data gathered  
was insufficient for analysis. Requesting permission to follow target  
and conduct further observation."  
  
The man nodded slowly. "Very well, permission to follow is  
granted. Physical contact with the target is to be avoided if  
possible. If he exhibits sufficient fighting ability, initiate  
capture sequence 32-A."  
  
"My... pretties...."  
  
The man paused briefly before speaking. "What was that?"  
  
The view on the screen changed as the cloaked figure trained  
her camera on the prone figure of Happosai. The old pervert was lying  
unconscious on the ground, twitching from time to time.  
  
"Cover compromised by contact with subject. Subject exhibits  
ninety percent similarity to previously catalouged fighter: Happosai.  
Combat was initiated to preserve cover."  
  
The man nodded once more. "I see. Have you sustained any  
injuries?"  
  
The cloaked figure appeared on the screen once more. "Minor  
bruising was sustained as subject attempted intimate contact."  
  
The man shook his head. "Was he able to get a look at your  
face? Will he be able to recognize you in the future?"  
  
The cloaked figure shook her head. "Negative. Subject's pupils  
were directed at my chest for the duration of the battle."  
  
The man sighed. Happosai's fighting ability was among the  
highest ever observed, but his skills were compromised by his lecherous  
ways. "If you are confident that he cannot identify you, then you need  
not dispose of him. For now, I want you to follow Ranma Saotome and  
gather his fighting data."  
  
The cloaked figure nodded briskly. "As you command."  
  
*****  
  
Author's Notes  
  
Took a while, ne? I actually had to take a long break from  
writing in order to concentrate on my thesis. I'm finally finished with  
it, and I'll be graduating soon. After graduation, I plan to go for a  
master's degree. Wish me luck!  
  
Aside from my studies, I also slowed down because I spent  
unbelievable amounts of time searching for places to download Naruto  
episodes (I've got 1-24 so far), Azumanga episodes (I've got 2-8 so  
far) and Hanaukyo Maids episodes (I've got 1-15). I also wasted a lot  
of time looking for Boku no Seinen volume five and Saigado's new  
Guilty Gear dojin.   
  
Anyone who could point me to where I can download scans of  
Boku no Seinen vol. 5 or the GG Saigado dojin, or even scans of the  
Hanaukyo Maids manga will be my friend for life. (unlike some other  
people, I appreciate the fact that you can appreciate the fanservice  
in Hanaukyo Maids without worrying about the storyline. Mahoro has  
nothing on Mariel)  
  
I've also started work on watching my incredible backlog of  
anime episodes that I have on CD but have neglected to watch. The  
remaining episodes that I need to watch are Great Teacher Onizuka 12  
-36, Gatekeepers, Sakura Wars 9-25, DNA^2 8-15, Star Ocean EX, Full  
Metal Panic, the second season of Mahoromatic, and the whole Onegai  
Teacher series.  
  
The final reason for my delay was the fact that it took me  
forever to get all the endings for Gloria, Seasons of the Sakura, and  
Kana Little Sister.  
  
I would like to thank Nathan Diederich, Egan Mandreck, Tracy  
Poff, Vex, Tonyloco, Shade, Kevin Henry, Chester, Takeki Kagato, and  
Griever for all the help they have given me for this chapter.   
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	18. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: Sailormoon, Oh My Goddess!, and Ranma 1/2 all belong to  
  
people other than me. I'm not making any money from this fanfic.  
  
Warning: The author's notes section is really long this time.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keiichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
  
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 16  
  
by Jose Argao  
  
"Who was that on the phone, Kasumi? Was it Nabiki?"  
  
It had been thirty-six long minutes since Soun Tendo found  
  
out that Nabiki had left Nerima to follow Ranma, and he was almost  
  
going out of his mind. The note Kasumi had found in Nabiki's room had  
  
said that she would call as soon as she arrived in Juuban, but the  
  
phone had remained silent until a few moments ago. Kasumi was able to  
  
get to it before he could, and she had spent a few minutes talking to  
  
the person on the other end. He hoped it was Nabiki. She had never  
  
left home to go to such a far away place unattended before, and he was  
  
worried for her safety.  
  
"I'm sorry, father, but it wasn't Nabiki. It was just Yuka  
  
calling to say something about Akane."  
  
Soun hung his head in sadness. What was taking Nabiki so long?  
  
Why did she have to go and worry her poor father so? He closed his  
  
eyes, took a deep breath, calmed his nerves, then started wailing as  
  
loudly as he could.  
  
Tears flowed freely from Soun's eyes as his imagination ran  
  
wild with imagined tragedies. "My baby, all alone in Juuban! I've heard  
  
stories about that place, you know. There's no telling what could have  
  
happened to her by now! What if she's been hurt? What if she doesn't  
  
have anything to eat? What if she's been abducted by aliens? Did you  
  
see that special about aliens on television last week? They _probe_  
  
you!"  
  
A comforting hand appeared on Soun's and pulled him back down  
  
onto his futon. He allowed himself to fall backwards into a lying  
  
position and found himself looking at the visage of Nodoka Saotome.  
  
He tried to open his mouth to explain further about extra-terrestrial  
  
probing, but she shushed him with a stern look.  
  
"Please calm down, Soun. I'm sure that Nabiki would never  
  
allow herself to be captured and... er... probed. She's not that kind  
  
of girl, you know."  
  
Soun did not understand Nodoka's words in the least, but she  
  
said them with such a calm voice that he couldn't help but feel better  
  
about the situation.  
  
Nodoka sighed deeply as she knelt beside Soun's futon. The  
  
Tendo patriarch's tendency to cry like a baby had always annoyed her,  
  
but there was little she could do but grin and bear it. Of course,  
  
her own husband's tendency to turn into a panda and start playing  
  
with a tire wasn't helping things very much, either, but at least he  
  
was quiet. She hoped that Yuka had called to give good news. It would  
  
do wonders for Soun if Akane would go home. She smiled brightly and  
  
turned to Soun's eldest daughter.  
  
"Kasumi, would you mind telling us what Akane's friend said?  
  
Has Akane changed her mind? Is she coming home now?"  
  
Kasumi shook her head as she replied. "Oh no, Auntie Saotome.  
  
Yuka-chan just called to say that Akane went to Juuban with a strange  
  
ninja to stop Ranma from going to heaven with two beautiful women."  
  
*****  
  
Juuban High's athletic field was normally a dark and deserted  
  
place at night. With the exception of a few particularly adventurous  
  
couples who liked the excitement of fornicating in a public place,  
  
few people had any reason to go there at all. A breeze blew across  
  
it, causing the grass to bend momentarily before returning to its  
  
original position. For a few minutes, nothing moved. The field was a  
  
picture of perfect peace.  
  
Suddenly, a bright light lit up the field. The light quickly  
  
disappeared, leaving a large group of people in its wake. In the middle  
  
of the field stood Setsuna, who impatiently waited while her companions  
  
figured out where they were. Seeing that they had more or less figured  
  
out that they were still on Earth, she tapped her staff on the ground  
  
and began talking.  
  
"Everyone, please check your companions and belongings to make  
  
sure that all the participants are present and accounted for. It would  
  
not make for an interesting battle at all if someone were to die before  
  
I could kill her."  
  
Usagi nervously turned to Ami, who was scanning their opponents  
  
with her visor. The young princess was visibly agitated.  
  
"Setsuna's not really gonna kill anyone, is she? I mean, she's  
  
just saying that to sound scary, right? I don't want to die, Ami-chan!"  
  
Ami turned to Usagi with a determined look on her face. "I'm  
  
pretty sure that Setsuna doesn't plan to hurt us. She's still a senshi,  
  
and she'd never do anything that would endanger our lives. The same  
  
goes for Mamoru, except he isn't really a senshi."  
  
Ami paused for a few moments, her expression turning into a  
  
scowl. "I have no doubt that they're going to go all out on this fight,  
  
though. I've been scanning the others, and there isn't a single weak  
  
person here. The girl with the coin is bursting with battle-aura. The  
  
Mercury computer estimates that Lilith may have power equal to Setsuna  
  
herself."  
  
Rei's eyes grew large when she heard Ami's words. "As strong  
  
as Setsuna? But Setsuna's one of the strongest among the senshi! What  
  
about the others? Are they as strong as Setsuna too?"  
  
Ami met Rei's gaze as she replied. "Well, Ranma's readings  
  
are a little weird. It seems that the same abnormality that's causing  
  
his aura to appear as though it's composed of two people is interfering  
  
with the scanning software. Makoto is still roughly as strong as the  
  
other senshi, as is Mamoru. As for Urd and Morrigan... well... the  
  
computer crashed when I tried to read their power levels."  
  
Usagi started hyperventilating. "The computer crashed? What  
  
does that mean? Are they so strong that the computer couldn't handle  
  
it? Do we have any chance of winning at all?"  
  
Ami smiled at Usagi. "That's a possibility, but I doubt it.  
  
They'd have to be gods to have power levels that the Mercury Computer  
  
can't read. My guess is that it's just a glitch. The computer's been  
  
acting unpredictably since I installed XP."  
  
Usagi had no idea what XP was, but she nodded thoughtfully to  
  
give the illusion that she did. She clenched her hands into fists. How  
  
the heck was she supposed to win _this_ one?  
  
Minako was just about to wring her hands in despair when she  
  
felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and found that it belonged to  
  
Ami, who smiled warmly at her.  
  
"Hey, don't worry too much. We haven't lost yet. Don't forget  
  
that Setsuna and Mamoru probably won't be fighting us, and that Makoto  
  
and Ranma could be turned into allies if we can break whatever spell  
  
was put on them. The purple-haired girl from before isn't even here, so  
  
we can stop worrying about her."  
  
Minako nodded slowly, her confidence returning. Ami's words  
  
made sense. Their only real enemies were Morrigan, Lilith, the girl  
  
with the coin, and Urd. All was not lost. She smiled as she used the  
  
transformation pen to repair the damage that her uniform had sustained  
  
in the last fight. When she finally won, she wanted to do it in style.  
  
*****  
  
"Ryoga-kun, are you sure we're going in the right direction?  
  
We've been walking for a while, and I think we've already passed  
  
through this street... twice."  
  
Rose raised her eyebrows at her directionally challenged  
  
companion, who was currently arguing with Mousse about how to read  
  
the map they had brought along with them. It was supposed to help  
  
them avoid just the situation that they were in right now, but  
  
obviously it hadn't worked. Ryoga turned to her, then pointed an  
  
accusing finger at Mousse.  
  
"I know that! If we hadn't listened to this idiot and gone  
  
straight ahead at the intersection instead of taking that last right  
  
turn, we'd be at the Tendo's by now. He's the reason we've been going  
  
in circles!"  
  
Mousse pointed right back at Ryoga as he . "That's not true!  
  
The real reason we're lost is that _this_ idiot made us turn right at  
  
the bakery when we should have turned left!"  
  
Rose shook her head in defeat. When they finally arrived in  
  
Nerima, she had thought that it would be easy going. However, things  
  
turned out a bit differently. Ryoga had almost led them out of the  
  
district more than once, and it looked like he was going to do so once  
  
more. Mousse was still missing his glasses, so he wasn't much help  
  
either. She could hardly believe that these two had ever been to Nerima   
  
at all, much less actually lived there for a time. It looked as though  
  
she would have to do things herself once more. She quickly snapped the  
  
map from Ryoga's hands, looked at it for a few seconds, then put it in  
  
one of her pockets.  
  
"We should have gone straight ahead at the bakery and turned  
  
left at the intersection. It doesn't matter now, anyway. Just follow  
  
me."  
  
Rose sighed as she walked in front, followed by her two idiot  
  
helpers. She wondered not for the first time why she had saved them to  
  
begin with.  
  
*****  
  
"Ranma-kun, Lilith and I will take care of Urd. Can you handle  
  
the rest of them?"  
  
Ranma turned to Morrigan, his face expressionless. "Of course,  
  
mistress. I shall destroy them completely."  
  
Morrigan shook her head. "No need for that, dear. Just knock  
  
them around enough to get them unconscious. Lilith and I will take  
  
things from there."  
  
Ranma nodded slowly. "As you command."  
  
Lilith looked closely at Ranma's face. She waved her hand in  
  
front of him, getting no reaction. She turned to Morrigan and pouted.  
  
"What happened to Ranma? He's all boring now! I don't want him  
  
like this."  
  
Morrigan smiled as she lovingly stroked Lilith's face. "There's  
  
nothing to worry about. I've put a couple of controls in his mind, and  
  
they're interfering with his emotions. After a few weeks, when his mind  
  
has become completely dependent on us for direction, I'll take them out   
  
and he'll be back as he was before I put them in, except he'll still be   
  
under my control."  
  
Lilith frowned. "A few weeks? What if the controls are taken  
  
out before then?"  
  
Morrigan raised a finger to her chin thoughtfully. "I'm not  
  
sure, actually. Such a thing has never happened before. The control  
  
process might still work, and if that happens he'll still be under my  
  
influence. If it fails, he might regain his freedom. He might also go  
  
insane."  
  
Lilith's eyes grew large. "Insane? I don't want him to become  
  
insane!"  
  
Morrigan grinned. "Don't worry about it. The controls I've put  
  
in are completely unbreakable. No one can take them out but me."  
  
Lilith sighed. "Well, if you say so, I guess it's okay."  
  
Morrigan nodded. "Of course it is. For now, all you need to  
  
worry about is kicking Urd's ass."  
  
Lilith gave her sister a thumbs up. "Roger!"  
  
*****  
  
"Mmmmm... Peorth-san... we mustn't... you can't... oh my!"  
  
Belldandy awakened suddenly from her sleep, her breath coming  
  
in deep gasps. Despite the fact that her office was air-conditioned,  
  
her whole body was practically soaked in sweat. She blushed bright red  
  
as her thoughts drifted back to the strange dream she had been having.  
  
It had been very... graphic, to say the least.  
  
Thinking that it was probably just stress, Belldandy decided  
  
to just forget about her dream and get back to work. She got up from  
  
her bed, changed out of the pajamas she was wearing and stretched her  
  
arms, yawning as she did so.  
  
"What a restful sleep. I really needed that! What should I  
  
do now? Let's see...."  
  
The last thing she could remember was using her computer to  
  
look for the whereabouts of Skuld, but that didn't explain how she had  
  
ended up sleeping on a bed in the middle of her office, wearing a set  
  
of pajamas that she had never seen before. She turned towards her  
  
computer, and found that it had been turned off.  
  
"Oh my!"  
  
Belldandy dashed towards the computer and pressed the power  
  
button. After waiting for a few seconds for the computer to boot up,  
  
she opened the search program and checked the log to see if the  
  
computer had found her sister before it was turned off.  
  
"Oh my!"  
  
The log indicated that Skuld had gone to China with Ukyo.  
  
Specifically, they had gone to Jusenkyo. It was a buggy area that  
  
the search program had trouble searching through. The fact that  
  
she went there would explain why it took so long to find her.  
  
Belldandy read the rest of the computer's report, nodding to  
  
herself as she read of how Skuld had gone off chasing after bugs,  
  
determined to wipe them out from the area. She stopped nodding when  
  
she got to the part explaining what had happened after that. The  
  
next few words she uttered came out of her mouth before she could  
  
censor them, something that only happened in emergencies.  
  
"Oh shit."  
  
*****   
  
Delinquents, all of them.  
  
Hinako crossed her arms in front of herself as she waited for  
  
her opponents to announce the beginning of their battle. She actually  
  
wanted to start immediately, but they weren't ready yet and it would  
  
have been unfair of her to do so. It's not like she was a delinquent  
  
herself, after all.  
  
Hinako turned towards the strange man wearing a tuxedo, finding  
  
that he did in fact look a bit homosexual. She certainly couldn't be  
  
considered an authority on the subject, of course, but he just looked  
  
a bit too... clean. In her experience, all _real_ men were dirty to a  
  
certain extent. It could almost be considered as part of their charm,  
  
the way they walked around town without spending even an hour combing  
  
their hair.  
  
Soun Tendo was the best example of a man that Hinako knew of.  
  
He usually looked as if he hadn't bathed in weeks, though smelling him  
  
would reveal that it couldn't have been more than three days since he  
  
had done so. It was probably because he was always crying and getting  
  
splashed with water from the koi pond. He probably figured all that  
  
water kept him clean.  
  
It was kinda cute, actually, if a little disgusting. In any  
  
case, Hinako figured that he would change for the better once Ranma had  
  
finally settled down. It was usually Ranma that was causing him to cry  
  
or get splashed.  
  
Now Ranma, there was a _man_. An annoying delinquent of a man  
  
who liked to cross dress from time to time, but a man nonetheless. Ranma  
  
was also usually dirty, from fighting, playing, flirting and all the  
  
other delinquent acts that he usually got up to. Still, even when in  
  
his female form, you just couldn't look at Ranma and not be overwhelmed   
  
by his amazing maleness. Not unless you happened to be Tatewaki Kuno  
  
of course.  
  
Come to think of it, Kuno was a bit dirty too... if not in his  
  
hygiene then certainly in his thinking. He was also prone to staring at  
  
her breasts whenever she transformed into her adult form, something  
  
that a homosexual would probably not do. That would make him a man as  
  
well. Not a manly man by any stretch of the imagination, but still a  
  
man.  
  
Then again, Ranma didn't like to stare at her breasts. Could  
  
it be that Ranma actually wasn't too manly after all? It couldn't  
  
be, since despite his reluctance to gaze upon her breasts he still  
  
liked to grab them from time to time, ostensibly to deactivate her  
  
powers but probably just to cop a cheap feel. He didn't like to do  
  
anything with them, though. He just grabbed them and that was it. The  
  
experience usually left her feeling cheated somehow.  
  
Which was further proof that Ranma was truly a delinquent!  
  
If he was a _real_ gentleman, he wouldn't just grab her chest  
  
then leave her unsatisfied. He would've finished what he started! Such  
  
a delinquent... just thinking about him was leaving her all hot and  
  
bothered with the desire to change him for the better.  
  
Cracking her knuckles in front of her, Hinako prepared to  
  
fight for the right to educate Ranma.  
  
*****  
  
"Hello. I would like to speak to Ranma Saotome, please. It's  
  
very important."  
  
Kasumi smiled at the person outside the door, a woman dressed  
  
in funny clothes that she had never met before. With practiced ease,  
  
she took a piece of paper from a pile on a table by the door and handed  
  
it to the woman.  
  
"I'm sorry, but Ranma can't meet you right now. However, if  
  
you would just provide us with a copy of your name, telephone number,  
  
a recent photo, the date of your engagement, and the circumstances  
  
surrounding it, you'll be notified in case something comes up."  
  
Rose took the piece of paper without looking at it and stared  
  
at the girl in front of her. She had no idea whatsoever what the girl  
  
was talking about.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
Kasumi continued smiling at the woman. She hoped that this one  
  
wouldn't suddenly decide to get violent. Ranma and Akane were both out  
  
of the house and her father was in bed so things could get out of hand  
  
if she did. Kasumi really didn't mind, but some of the neighbors were  
  
complaining about the devastation that Ranma's fiancees usually left in  
  
their wake. Well, there wasn't much she could do about it. She hoped  
  
that this latest addition would be friendly.  
  
"Ranma is out right now, so you won't be able to meet him. If  
  
you would just give me the requirements I told you about, though, I'll  
  
be sure to get in touch with you as soon as he's decided whether you're  
  
the one for him. The requirements are listed on that paper I gave you,  
  
so you don't have to worry about memorizing them. You can just put them  
  
in the mail box later, if you want."  
  
Rose frowned. She looked at the piece of paper and skimmed  
  
through its contents to find a clue as to what the girl was talking  
  
about. She had no idea it would be so hard to talk to Ranma Saotome.  
  
A few seconds later, she found what was wrong.  
  
"I'm sorry, but I'm not here to marry Ranma. I came here to--"  
  
A loud shout interrupted Rose before she could continue, and  
  
both women turned towards the gate to find Ryoga and Mousse standing  
  
below it. Mousse clenched one of his hands into a fist as he glared  
  
daggers at Rose.  
  
"You left us! I can't believe you just went here and left us  
  
wandering the sewers for hours!"  
  
Rose rolled her eyes. "I didn't leave you, you disappeared.  
  
You were supposed to be following me but when I turned around you were  
  
gone. What was I supposed to do? Besides, even if you were somehow able  
  
to get yourselves into the sewers, you couldn't have been wandering  
  
for hours because it's only been about forty-five minutes since we were  
  
separated. Anyway, it's good that you're here. I'm having a bit of  
  
trouble here. This girl seems to think that I'm--"  
  
"Oh my, I didn't know that you were a friend of Ryoga and  
  
Mousse! My name is Kasumi. Please come in."  
  
Rose turned back towards Kasumi, who was now holding the door  
  
open for her to enter. She gestured for her companions to follow her as  
  
she made her way inside.  
  
*****  
  
Mamoru regarded his opponents with a bit of apprehension. He  
  
was not accustomed to fighting women that were not visibly attracted to  
  
him. Then again, he also wasn't accustomed to fighting women that were  
  
visibly attracted to him, either. Actually, he just wasn't accustomed  
  
to fighting.   
  
He had survived this long by taking pot shots at enemies who  
  
had their back turned to him, then acting cool and aloof as if actually   
  
taking them on in face to face combat was too good for him. It was a  
  
very effective method of fighting, too. It gave him a dark, mysterious  
  
aura to add to his arsenal that left his enemies guessing whether he  
  
was some sort of fighting god who could level them with a flick of his  
  
wrist, or just some kid who liked to play with flowers.  
  
Not that he actually _liked_ to play with flowers, of course.  
  
He'd never done such a thing. Not more than once, anyway. Except on his  
  
birthdays and a few other special occasions.  
  
Tuesdays were special occasions, right?  
  
Anyway, the important thing was that he wasn't gay. He just  
  
liked to use roses as darts because the senshi's attacks were so girly  
  
and he wanted to fit in. It was a lot like the hazing he was subjected  
  
to when he entered the flower-arranging club last year; something that  
  
he didn't necessarily enjoy but nonetheless tolerated because he had  
  
no choice in the matter.  
  
Mamoru stood straight as he observed his soon to be opponents,  
  
a move he had practiced in front of a mirror and was sure to make him  
  
look manly. They were certainly all very pretty, even prettier than  
  
Usagi and her little friends. The silver-haired chick with dark skin  
  
was particularly attractive. He could hardly wait until he had beaten  
  
her into loving him.  
  
Of course, that would sort of put a damper on the whole 'marry  
  
Usagi and save the world' thing. Then again, that course of action had  
  
begun to seem less and less attractive in the past few days. His loss  
  
of affection for her would almost be the strangest thing to happen to  
  
him recently, if only he hadn't been having strange dreams about women  
  
with red hair and pigtails.  
  
Not that he'd never had dreams about pretty redheads before,  
  
but those mostly involved beautiful, anonymous women who liked to...  
  
well... never mind.  
  
Mamoru took a deep breath, then smiled to himself. Soon, he would  
  
be enjoying the affections of an exotic babe with silver hair. Life was  
  
good.  
  
*****  
  
"Are you getting tired, Ms. Akane? We can take a break if you  
  
want."  
  
Konatsu continued running in front of Akane, easily outpacing  
  
the slower girl with his speed. He was really starting to get worried  
  
about her. She didn't look too good. Akane, however, simply ignored  
  
his offer.  
  
"A break? How can we take a break? We've wasted enough time  
  
going to the train station without any money. There's no telling what  
  
Ranma has gotten up to already!"  
  
Konatsu blushed. He had assumed that Akane would have money  
  
on her, which was one of the reasons he had gone to her to begin with.  
  
Apparently, women were _not_ bottomless stores of spare cash, as he  
  
had previously thought.  
  
"I'm really sorry, Ms. Tendo, but the Ucchan's hasn't been  
  
making any money lately and I'm all out of cash."  
  
Akane struggled to answer Konatsu as she raced to keep up  
  
with him. Where did he get all his energy?  
  
"It's not your fault, Konatsu. I left my wallet at Yuka's  
  
because I thought you already had a way to get to Juuban. It's all  
  
Ranma's fault. If he hadn't tricked those poor girls into becoming  
  
his latest conquests, none of this would be happening!"  
  
Konatsu frowned as he tried to imagine Morrigan and Lilith  
  
as helpless victims of Ranma's charm. He couldn't.  
  
"Uh... Ms. Akane, I don't really think it would be appropriate  
  
to call those women 'poor girls'."  
  
Akane shook her head. "Don't be fooled, Konatsu. Ranma may  
  
_seem_ to be just a dumb jock, but he's much, much worse. You have no  
  
idea what he's capable of. The things he can do. He can make any girl  
  
fall in love with him, then he'll play around with other girls right  
  
in front of her! He's such a... such a jerk!"  
  
Konatsu nodded thoughtfully while he ran. "Any girl, huh?  
  
That's quite a talent to have. It's a good thing _you_ can see right  
  
through him then."  
  
Akane nodded as well. "That's exactly right. I'm the only  
  
thing that stands between Ranma and his having a harem of girls doing  
  
anything he tells them to!"  
  
Konatsu smiled. "That's nice to know. But why are you standing  
  
there, exactly?"  
  
Akane frowned. "Standing where? I'm running right now. Are you  
  
telling me that I'm too slow? I'm not! It's you! You're running way too  
  
fast for a normal person!"  
  
Konatsu hurriedly shook his head. "Oh no, Ms. Akane. That's not  
  
what I meant at all! I was just wondering why you even bother to stand  
  
between Ranma and his harem, since there isn't any chance of you being  
  
in it anyway."  
  
Akane opened her mouth to answer, but no sound came out. She  
  
slowly closed it again. Konatsu, thinking that he just hadn't heard her  
  
reply, decided to ask her what she had said.  
  
"Ms. Akane, I didn't get that last thing you said. Could you  
  
please repeat it?"  
  
Akane never even heard him. She was seething with anger. Ranma  
  
had just given her the ultimate insult. Not good enough to be a wife,  
  
was she? Not even good enough to be in a harem, was she? She had always   
  
known Ranma was a pig before, but this brought him to a whole new low.  
  
Even lower than a pig. A rat, maybe. Or a cockroach. Certainly he was  
  
something small and disgusting. She became angrier and angrier the more   
  
she thought about him.  
  
Konatsu, seeing that she hadn't heard him, asked again. "What  
  
was that last thing you said, Ms. Akane?"  
  
Akane glared daggers at Konatsu, sending shivers up his spine.  
  
"Just shut up and run."  
  
*****  
  
"Please sit over here on the couch. I'm terribly sorry, Ms.  
  
Rose. I had no idea you were friends with Ryoga and Mousse. Normally,  
  
we'd run a background check first to see if you really are a fiancee,  
  
but in this case I think we can just skip to the interview. Mrs.  
  
Saotome should be here any moment. Would you like some tea?"  
  
Rose sat down on the seat and smiled at Kasumi. She had so  
  
far been unsuccessful in conveying the message that she did not want to  
  
marry Ranma, and Ryoga and Mousse weren't helping things by continuing  
  
their argument as if they weren't in somebody else's home. Perhaps she  
  
would be more successful if she just spoke to Ranma's mother.  
  
"Mrs. Saotome will see you now. Please follow me. Ryoga and  
  
Mousse can stay here and eat cookies while they wait."  
  
Rose slowly stood up and followed Kasumi. It was all very  
  
strange for her, being mistaken for a fiancee of all things, but Kasumi  
  
acted as if it were a normal occurrence. She had dismissed Ryoga's  
  
stories about Ranma's eye for women before, but now she wasn't so sure  
  
that she was right to do so. They eventually came to a closed door,  
  
which Kasumi opened for her.  
  
"Please come inside. Mrs. Saotome is waiting for you."  
  
Rose entered the room and found that it was sparsely lit, a  
  
single lamp providing all the illumination in it. A woman sat on a  
  
small chair in the middle of it, and another one was positioned in  
  
front of her. The woman gestured towards the chair in front of her.  
  
"Good evening, Ms. Rose. I am Ranma's mother. Please have a  
  
seat."  
  
Rose smiled at the woman as she sat down. Ranma's mother  
  
seemed to be friendly enough. It didn't look like she would have much  
  
trouble explaining herself. Before she could say anything, however,  
  
the woman had already begun to talk.  
  
"Before anything else, I think you should know something. I  
  
want at least five."  
  
Rose blinked. Was this woman talking about what she thought  
  
this woman was talking about? Was this some joke?  
  
"Pardon me?"  
  
Mrs. Saotome replied quickly, an eerie smile adorning her  
  
face. Rose found that the smile made her feel very uncomfortable,  
  
though she could not tell exactly why.  
  
"Grandchildren, I mean. If you become Ranma's wife, I want  
  
five or more grandchildren. At least two boys, but preferably more.  
  
Their names will be left entirely up to you, of course, but I would  
  
like to play a part in their upbringing as well. Oh, and I don't  
  
believe in artificial formulas so breast-feeding will be required.  
  
If you don't think you can fulfill those requirements, then we have  
  
nothing more to talk about."  
  
Rose stared slack-jawed at the woman in front of her. She  
  
could hardly believe she had just heard what she did. She started  
  
to explain herself in a bid to head off any more talk of nursing  
  
infants, but Mrs. Saotome was too fast for her again.  
  
"You should know how to cook and clean, of course. I'll not  
  
tolerate having my son doing women's work around the house. Knowledge  
  
of how to give massages is also a plus, since he would probably have  
  
sore muscles from martial arts. It would probably help him get into  
  
the mood as well. Not that he wouldn't be every night, manly as he  
  
is. It wouldn't hurt to get into some fun in the mornings, though. I  
  
hope you don't mind being tied up. Tell me, do you know how to belly  
  
dance?"  
  
The last comment was simply too much for Rose to take, and her  
  
mind decided to take a break from reality to recharge itself. Her eyes  
  
closed and she began to fall forward as she lost consciousness. Nodoka  
  
was barely able to catch her.  
  
"Well, that went rather well. This was the fastest one I've  
  
brought under so far. I must be improving!"  
  
Nodoka Saotome giggled as she dragged Rose's body onto a bed.  
  
This certainly beat the usual mess that they got into whenever a new  
  
fiancee showed up to claim Ranma as her own.  
  
*****  
  
Urd stared at her finger with a feeling akin to disbelief. She  
  
was bleeding.  
  
She had successfully dodged the sneak attack from the woman who  
  
called herself Morrigan, but the very tip of her left pointing finger  
  
had briefly gotten caught in the aura that surrounded the bladed wing  
  
that Morrigan had attacked her with. The brief contact had left a small  
  
cut on it, and blood was slowly flowing out of it.  
  
The fact that she was bleeding was of no great concern in and  
  
of itself. She could heal herself instantaneously if she wanted. It  
  
would take such a small amount of energy to do so that just a sip of  
  
sake would probably be enough to power such a spell. She was in no  
  
danger of bleeding to death anytime soon.  
  
Much more important, however, was the realization that whomever  
  
this Morrigan was, she had enough power to cut into Urd's skin. Such a  
  
feat was not an easy task when she had her battle aura out. Urd had  
  
fought succubi before, and they had never had anywhere near the power  
  
that Morrigan had displayed when in the real world. They were mostly  
  
weak but pretty demons who fed on the lusts of weak men because they  
  
couldn't get energy any other way. Morrigan, on the other hand, was on  
  
an entirely new level. Not only had she remained undetected by Urd's  
  
aura until right before she attacked, she had also succeeded in drawing  
  
first blood. Morrigan was at least as strong as Setsuna and probably a  
  
lot more considering that she and her companion had managed to bring  
  
the tall girl under their control already, not to mention Ranma.  
  
What the hell was Ranma doing under the control of a succubus  
  
anyway? She had raised him to be better than that!  
  
Surrounded by girls all his life and fawned upon not only by  
  
the girl next door but by practically every female in the district,  
  
his resistance to succubus mind-manipulation tactics should have been  
  
incredible! However, the fact that she could see strains of Morrigan's  
  
aura all around his own indicated that he had already given in to her  
  
completely. How could this have happened so fast? It would have taken  
  
a normal succubus _years_ to gain control of even the weakest, most  
  
pathetic forty year old virgin. This was impossible. It just couldn't  
  
be true!  
  
'Oh, but it is.'  
  
Urd immediately turned towards Morrigan, whom she found was  
  
smirking at her. Things were just getting worse and worse.  
  
'How are you getting through to me? I have blocks all over--'  
  
Morrigan giggled, interrupting her train of thought. Succubi  
  
had a natural talent for doing that. It was one of the reasons that Urd   
  
had never liked them.  
  
'It's been quite a while since we last met, Urd. Do you even  
  
remember who I am?'  
  
Urd wracked her brain for some evidence of who this Morrigan  
  
really was, but came up empty. Had they really met before?   
  
'Of course we have. It looks like they sealed your memories  
  
away, though. Your boss likes to do that a lot. Maybe he doesn't really  
  
trust his own goddesses?'  
  
Urd glared at Morrigan, even as doubts surfaced in her mind.  
  
Her memories couldn't have been sealed away, right? That kind of thing  
  
was only done to emotional types like Belldandy. She never allowed her  
  
emotions to affect her work, had she?  
  
'Don't worry, love. I can jog your memory a bit....'  
  
Immediately after receiving Morrigan's message, Urd felt a  
  
crushing pressure come upon her brain. She closed her eyes and held  
  
her head between her hands as she struggled to fight it off, but the  
  
pressure just kept increasing and increasing. Finally, when she felt  
  
that her head was about to burst, the pressure suddenly dissipated.  
  
*****  
  
When Urd opened her eyes, she found that she was no longer at  
  
Juuban high. No longer on Earth, in fact. It looked like she was back  
  
home, sitting outside Odin's office waiting for her name to be called.  
  
"Goddess Second Class, First Category Limited Urd, Odin will  
  
speak to you now."  
  
Urd felt very small and helpless as she entered the large,  
  
sprawling chamber of Odin. She could see that Freya was standing beside  
  
him, as always. She could never understand how the older woman could  
  
be so comfortable in that position. She was thrown out of her thoughts  
  
by the loud, booming voice of Odin as it echoed throughout the room.  
  
"Good day to you, Urd. I hope that you are feeling better  
  
now. The events at the last banquet have left me feeling a bit...  
  
concerned for your well-being."  
  
Urd immediately blushed. She had gotten drunk at the last  
  
banquet and attempted to do a lap dance for no less than six different  
  
gods. When none of them accepted her offer, she went ahead and did one  
  
for Belldandy. It had taken Skuld twenty minutes to pry them off of  
  
each other. It was a moment in her life that she was very proud of, but  
  
somehow Odin's presence made it seem a lot less impressive and a lot  
  
more shameful.  
  
This was not going well. She was up for a promotion, and this  
  
conversation wasn't highlighting her better qualities as a goddess.  
  
Odin was staring at her, seemingly expecting an answer. She tried to  
  
smile at him, and succeeded in bringing out a hideous lopsided grin.  
  
Odin continued to stare at her, and she stared right back.  
  
This was bad. Her whole body was shaking. She had seemingly  
  
lost the ability to speak. She had to say something. Anything at all  
  
would do!  
  
"Mu... muh... mueh."  
  
Well, that was a start. Freya turned to her with a frown, the  
  
first sign that the other goddess had even noticed she was there. Odin  
  
sat on his throne, a puzzled look on his face. He cleared his throat  
  
loudly before speaking once more.  
  
"Well, you certainly look a lot better. I think clothes are  
  
very becoming on you. You should wear them more often. All the time, if   
  
possible."  
  
Actually, she _had_ worn clothing to the banquet. It was just  
  
that, through circumstances entirely beyond her control, she had lost  
  
them a lot earlier than she planned to. Odin continued to speak.  
  
"I'm sure you're wondering why I called you here. It's about  
  
your promotion, actually."  
  
Urd's breath caught in her throat. Her lower lip started to  
  
tremble. What was wrong with her? She _never_ felt this way!  
  
"Ga... gaah."  
  
Odin paid no heed to her babbling. He continued as if she  
  
hadn't said anything at all. "I know that you've been passed up several  
  
times in the past already, and I think it's about time that you were  
  
rewarded for your contribution to our team."  
  
Urd's jaw dropped. Could it be? Was she really going to get a  
  
promotion? It's been so long since the last one, she was starting to  
  
think she'd be second class forever.  
  
"There's a small task I want you to do. I'm sure you've heard  
  
that the war on the Makai realm has ended. The heir of Berial has  
  
finally decided to accept her responsibilities. I want you pay her a  
  
diplomatic visit to establish good ties between us, that's all. If you  
  
do your job well, there'll be a first class unlimited license waiting  
  
for you when you get back home. How does that sound?"  
  
Urd could hardly believe it. The only thing standing between  
  
her and a first class license was a few nights of socializing with a  
  
few demons. It was like a dream come true! She closed her mouth,  
  
afraid that she would say something stupid and blow this chance.  
  
Thankfully, Odin didn't seem to mind her silence. He just kept right  
  
on talking.  
  
"I have an important meeting to attend now. Freya here will  
  
inform you about the details of your trip. I'm expecting great things  
  
from you, Urd. Don't let me down!"  
  
*****  
  
'So, do you remember me now?'  
  
Urd opened her eyes and found herself back in Juuban. She  
  
looked all around her and found that everyone was still getting ready  
  
to fight. Morrigan was staring at her with the same smirk.  
  
'You still don't remember, do you? Don't worry, you will."  
  
Then the pressure was back. Urd clutched her head in pain  
  
once more. She fought to hold back tears as she closed her eyes.  
  
Sure enough, when she opened them again, she was in another place  
  
altogether.  
  
*****  
  
"It has been a pleasure having you here, Urd-san. It is too bad  
  
that you have to leave tomorrow. For now, though, let us have a toast  
  
to our good relations!"  
  
Urd laughed and picked up her goblet as she raised it along  
  
with Morrigan and the other guests. Morrigan had invited everyone who  
  
was anyone in the Makai realm to the farewell dinner in her honor.  
  
Her visit had gone much better than she could have dreamed, and she  
  
was going home the next day with her mission a success. All things  
  
considered, life was going great for her.  
  
Suddenly, as everyone was raising their goblets, a hole was  
  
blown through the roof of the castle by a giant axe of light. It spun  
  
through the air with amazing speed and force and ended up embedded in  
  
the middle of the dinner table. Morrigan stood up and called out to  
  
the roof.  
  
"What is the meaning of this? Who dares attack the Aensland  
  
home?"  
  
The answer came in the form of a loud voice coming from the  
  
outside.  
  
"Morrigan Aensland, we have you surrounded. You cannot escape.  
  
If you wish to stay alive, you must relinquish your claim to the throne   
  
and hand over leadership of the Makai realm to Demitri Maximov."  
  
From the hole in the roof, Valkyries and Einherjar swarmed into  
  
the room. They quickly cast about nets of light, catching Morrigan by  
  
surprise and easily subduing her.  
  
The large doors to the dining room were suddenly opened, and  
  
none other than Demitri Maximov himself made his way inside. He was  
  
surrounded by valkyries in full battle garb. He smiled at Morrigan, who   
  
glared daggers at him. From behind him, a female figure approached the  
  
dining room.  
  
"There is no way for you to win, Morrigan. Relinquish your  
  
throne now or be killed."  
  
Urd recognized that voice. As the figure strode into the light,   
  
she found that her guess was correct. She stood up and ran towards the  
  
figure, grabbing the figure's shoulders when she could reach them.  
  
"Rind! What are you doing here?"  
  
The battle goddess simply smiled at Urd. "You have done a good  
  
job, Goddess Second Class, First Category Limited Urd. Your mission is  
  
over. You may now go home. I will take things from here."  
  
Urd's eyes grew wide at the implications of what she was hearing.  
  
"What are you talking about? What are you doing here?"  
  
Rind simply shrugged. "Morrigan Aensland has been deemed a  
  
threat to the security of Asgard. As such, we are removing her from  
  
power."  
  
Urd slammed her fist onto the table. "But I was sent here on  
  
a diplomatic mission! Why are we moving against her if we wanted better  
  
ties?"  
  
Rind shook her head. "That strategy has been abandoned.  
  
Morrigan's rule is no longer to be tolerated. You may now go home."  
  
Urd was about to say something else, but she was interrupted by  
  
Morrigan's loud shout.  
  
"I do _not_ relinquish my power. You will have to kill me if  
  
you want it!"  
  
Rind sighed. "If that is your wish."  
  
Then, faster than Urd could react, the battle was joined.  
  
Morrigan cut through the nets around her with her wings and flew out of   
  
the room, Rind hot on her heels. Demitri soon followed. The only people   
  
left in the room were Urd and the confused guests.  
  
*****  
  
Author's Notes  
  
So what do you think? I've been watching too much Dragonball on   
  
TV, and I think it shows in the fact that it took so long for the fight   
  
to actually _start_. Actually, I've been almost done with this chapter  
  
for weeks. I just haven't gotten around to adding the finishing touches   
  
for a really long time. The reason for the delay can be summed up in  
  
three words, actually.  
  
Final Fantasy Tactics.  
  
You see, I bought and finished the game more than five years  
  
ago, but I've forever been annoyed by the fact that I not only let go  
  
of an important character (Worker 8) by mistake, I also missed getting  
  
a really cool secret (Ultima)! Aside from this, I also trained my team  
  
in the wrong way, resulting in a final save where Orlandu, Agrias and  
  
a few more of my characters were really powerful.  
  
I decided to redeem myself by doing the game over.  
  
So I played the game, training my people to get all the best  
  
skills (coughbladegraspcough) and making sure to snag all the secrets  
  
(getting an FS Bag was _hard_). In short, I lived my life like a hermit  
  
for three weeks doing nothing but playing FFT.  
  
Now, as I stare at my file with all propositions successfully  
  
completed, all characters at level 99 exp 99, all unique characters  
  
retained, at least one of every item, powerful setups for all of my  
  
characters that allow any of them to clear a deep dungeon level all  
  
alone, and all brave at 97 with faith at 84, I feel almost done. The  
  
only thing left is to do the level down/up trick, but I'm not planning  
  
to do that for a while.  
  
Anyway, all that playing prevented me from working on ATFWH,  
  
and I'm sorry. Hell, I haven't even been answering my email!  
  
As for anime viewing, I'm done watching Azumanga (HUGE thanks  
  
to Francis, who sent me the whole series. I would never have felt  
  
guilty enough to work on this chapter without him) and am working on  
  
finishing Fruits Basket. It's taking a while because I have to stop and   
  
rest every few episodes to recover from all the homosexual innuendos.  
  
I've started on Full Metal Panic and Sakura Wars, but I'm not done with  
  
them yet. I'm also done with Mahoromatic season two (what was up with  
  
that freaky ending?).  
  
I'm done reading Flame of Recca as well. I even helped out  
  
in creating a Recca/Neon lemon which, unfortunately, no one outside  
  
my immediate circle of friends will ever read.  
  
In any case, the response to the last chapter taught me that  
  
my reader base is an untapped resource that can find anything I want on   
  
the net. I'm going to attempt to tap that resource now. I am looking  
  
for a place to download the following, even an mirc channel will do  
  
so long as you tell me what server and channel to go through since all  
  
I know on mirc is how to leech. Private replies, please.  
  
1. The new Saigado dojin (?? Bear, something like that)  
  
2. Dojins by Big Boss (I'm missing the Ema special, Motoko  
  
Happy End, the Narusegawa Special, and a few others)  
  
3. Any D'Erlanger dojins (I's!)  
  
4. The Hanaukyo Maids manga (couldn't find it anywhere)  
  
5. Mogudan dojins (I hear there's a Rei 4?)  
  
6. Handmaid May  
  
7. Steel Angel Kurumi  
  
8. Cat Girl Nuku Nuku OAV  
  
Remember that I will probably spend countless hours searching  
  
for these, so if you go ahead and point me in the right direction, I'll  
  
have that much more time to write. Great deal, huh? You also get to be  
  
mentioned in the author's notes like this:  
  
THANKS A LOT FOR THE AZUMANGA EPS, FRANCIS!  
  
Er... where was I? Oh yeah. Some of you might notice that Odin  
  
is different here than in the AMG movie. Well, I didn't like the whole  
  
voice thing they had going on so I fused the Valkyrie Profile throne  
  
room into this. Cool, huh? No? Oh well.  
  
Watch for more exciting stuff to come (and for the darn fight  
  
to finally start) in the next chapters!  
  
I would like to thank Egan Mandreck, Chester, Kevin Henry, Griever,  
  
Tonyloco, Nathan Diederich, and Vex for all the help they have given me  
  
on this chapter.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	19. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: Do I own Sailormoon, AMG, Ranma 1/2, or any of the other  
  
characters in this story? Am I making money by writing this? I'll give  
  
you a clue: are Ranma and Akane a good couple?  
  
Warning: If you watch Fatal Fury: the Motion Picture once you're an  
  
adult, and the last time you saw it was way back in high school, the  
  
whole movie will seem to be a lot... cheesier on the whole.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keiichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
  
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 17  
  
by Jose Argao  
  
Ryoga glanced nervously around him as Kasumi served tea. He  
  
had never really felt too comfortable in the Tendo home, despite all  
  
the time he spent there. The fact that Ranma lived there was part of  
  
the reason, of course, but there was also something else. There was  
  
something about the people... a quality he couldn't quite put his  
  
finger on that made him feel as if he was always on the outside looking  
  
in. They shared a bond that he wasn't a part of. It was like the Tendos   
  
and the Saotomes were part of a special club that he could never be a  
  
member of, no matter how hard he tried. It was like they were a family.  
  
Ryoga had never really experienced having a family of his own.  
  
Oh, he had a mother and a father and probably he had a brother or a  
  
sister somewhere... but they were always too busy being lost to really  
  
spend time together as a family. He couldn't even remember the last  
  
time they all had dinner together.   
  
Ryoga didn't blame them for it, since he spent just as much  
  
time wandering unknown locales as they did, but sometimes he couldn't  
  
help but wish things were different... that he had a home to return  
  
to with a loving family to welcome him when he got there. He couldn't  
  
help but imagine what it would be like to have someone to talk to who  
  
wouldn't judge him... who wouldn't laugh at his mistakes or make fun  
  
of his ideas. Someone he could turn to for help when he needed it, who  
  
would cheer him up when he was down. He couldn't help but wonder what  
  
his life would have been like if he had something like that.  
  
Something like what Ranma had.  
  
Ranma... even thinking of that coward's name was enough to make  
  
his blood boil. He had a family that loved him, a home to call his own,  
  
a future to look forward to.... He even had a beautiful, kind-hearted  
  
girl like Akane for a fiancee. He already had everything in the world a   
  
man could want and yet he acted like... like it was nothing. Like it  
  
didn't matter because he somehow deserved more.  
  
Didn't Ranma realize how good he had it? What on Earth did he  
  
ever do to deserve all the good things he's been given? All he ever did  
  
was play around all day with those girls who were always fawning over  
  
him. Disgusting.  
  
What did all those girls see in Ranma anyway? Why couldn't  
  
they see the painfully obvious fact that he was just toying with them?  
  
Why couldn't they realize that he didn't deserve their love? They would  
  
be much better off giving their love to someone else. Someone who would  
  
recognize their offering and treasure it forever. Someone more like  
  
himself.  
  
"...meet her?"  
  
Ryoga snapped out of his thoughts and realized that Kasumi had  
  
finished serving tea and was sitting on the other side of the kotatsu.  
  
Mousse was still sitting beside him, and they were both looking at him  
  
as if they were expecting an answer.  
  
How could he answer? He didn't even know the question! To be  
  
caught ignoring such a generous host as Kasumi... it was nothing short  
  
of humiliating! This was all _Ranma's_ fault! If that idiot hadn't  
  
caused him to space out like that, he would have known what Kasumi  
  
had asked him and would have been able to answer. Ranma was truly a  
  
coward, attacking him like this without even having the courage to be  
  
in the same room. The next time they meet, Ranma would die.  
  
For now, though, there was a more pressing problem at hand.  
  
Kasumi was still waiting for an answer, but he didn't know what  
  
the question was. He could ask Mousse, but that would reveal that he  
  
wasn't listening. He could try to guess what the question was, but if  
  
he guessed wrong it might be even worse for him. There was nothing he  
  
could do but admit his transgression and hope that Kasumi wouldn't be  
  
too upset. She might give him some punishment, of course, but he would  
  
take it like a man. He wasn't a coward like some other people he could  
  
name.  
  
"Um... ah...."  
  
Sweat started forming on his brow. This was so embarrassing.  
  
Kasumi was one of the few people who had always been nice to him, and  
  
this was how he repaid her kindness? He felt like scum... like he was  
  
the lowest of the low. He wished lightning would strike him down right  
  
now... that the ground would open up and swallow him whole... anything  
  
to avoid the anger that Kasumi would surely direct at him once he had  
  
admitted what he had done.  
  
"Ryoga, your face is all red. Are you okay?"  
  
Kasumi was standing over him and holding her hand against his  
  
forehead before Ryoga could react. She frowned as she felt for his  
  
temperature.  
  
"Well, you don't seem to have a fever, but you still don't  
  
look too good. You should lie down for a bit. The guest bedroom is  
  
occupied right now, but you can use Ranma's futon since he's not here.  
  
I'm sure he wouldn't mind, the two of you being such good friends and  
  
all."  
  
The honorable thing to do would be to come clean and admit his  
  
error to Kasumi, Ryoga reasoned to himself. To pretend that he wasn't  
  
feeling well and accept Kasumi's offer would be a coward's way out, not  
  
to mention it would work poor Kasumi even harder.  
  
"Ryoga-kun, are you listening to me?"  
  
Ryoga opened his mouth with the intention of admitting that he  
  
wasn't listening and falling to his knees in front of Kasumi to beg for  
  
forgiveness.  
  
No sound came out. Try as he would, the best his vocal chords  
  
could come up with was a strangled gasp. Kasumi shook her head.  
  
"Oh my, something must really be wrong with you. Here, why  
  
don't you come with me to Ranma's room and I'll call Doctor Tofu. He  
  
should be able to tell what's... Ryoga?"  
  
*****  
  
Kasumi watched with concern as Ryoga bolted out of the room  
  
and started running in a random direction. She turned towards Mousse,  
  
who was quietly sipping his tea.  
  
"What happened to Ryoga? Will he be okay?"  
  
Mousse put his tea cup down on the kotatsu and turned towards  
  
Kasumi as he began to reply.  
  
"I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. Don't worry yourself  
  
over him. He's not worth it."  
  
Kasumi nodded slowly. Though she didn't agree with Mousse's  
  
opinion of Ryoga, she trusted his judgment.  
  
"Well, if you say so. Anyway, would you mind telling me how  
  
the two of you met Rose? Ryoga-kun never got around to answering me  
  
when I asked him."  
  
Mousse took another sip of his tea before answering.  
  
"Well, I first met her after I lost in battle to a mysterious  
  
cloaked stranger. When I woke up, I was in a room I didn't recognize.  
  
She entered the room right after I woke up and when I asked her who she   
  
was all she said was...."  
  
*****  
  
"My name is... Rose."  
  
Mousse followed Rose with his eyes as she made her way towards  
  
his bed. His mind was filled with questions, but Rose had told him that  
  
he would have his answers in due time. In his current state, he wasn't  
  
in much of a position to argue.  
  
"You should go back to sleep. I'll promise to answer your  
  
questions after you wake up."  
  
Rose walked up to him and laid her hand on Mousse's head. He  
  
immediately felt his eyelids getting heavier as sleep overtook him. He  
  
drifted off into a deep, dreamless slumber. The next thing the blind  
  
martial artist knew, he was being shaken awake.  
  
"It's time to wake up, sleeping beauty. Your friend is already  
  
up and waiting for you."  
  
Mousse opened his eyes and opened his mouth to ask the obvious  
  
question. The woman who introduced herself as Rose shushed him with a  
  
finger.  
  
"Do not worry, you've only been out for a night. I'm pretty  
  
impressed, actually. I've never seen anyone heal so fast before. The  
  
other one was also a fast healer. He's in the living room waiting for  
  
you. Please come with me."  
  
Mousse followed Rose out of the room and through a short  
  
hallway before walking down a flight of stairs. From what he could  
  
see, they were in a large two-story house. Having cleared the stairs,  
  
they walked a short distance into what looked like the living area.  
  
Ryoga was sitting quietly on the couch. Their eyes met as Mousse  
  
moved to sit down beside him, but both men remained silent. Rose sat  
  
down on another chair and cleared her throat before speaking.  
  
"Well, I promised both of you answers when you were healed  
  
and I guess now it's time to provide them. My name is Rose, and for  
  
the past few years I have been chasing after a dangerous terrorist  
  
bent on world domination known as M. Bison."  
  
Ryoga shook his head. "I've never heard of him."  
  
Rose did not miss a beat as she continued. "Bison was planning  
  
to conquer the world through the use of his evil psycho power. He was  
  
defeated by a powerful warrior named Ryu Hoshi some time ago, but he  
  
was not killed. At the moment, I think that he is trying to rebuild his  
  
power base by collecting the most powerful fighters from around the  
  
world to join him."  
  
Mousse put two and two together and smacked his fist against  
  
his palm. "So that strange cloaked fighter was sent to test my power  
  
and see if I was good enough for Bison's purposes!"  
  
"Well, not exactly," Rose replied. "Those cloaked women that  
  
you fought are members of Bison's team of 'dolls'. They used to have  
  
free will, but were brainwashed into becoming his loyal slaves. They  
  
are tireless, fearless, and will fight for him until their last breath  
  
has been extinguished. Their primary purpose is to search for fighters  
  
who have great power as well as an untapped potential for evil."  
  
Ryoga smiled. "I see... they must not have chosen me because  
  
there isn't a shred of evil in my person."  
  
Mousse nodded. "The same goes for myself. I may have great  
  
power, but my heart is pure."  
  
Rose sweatdropped at their declarations. "Well, anyway, I  
  
wanted to know if your opponents gave any clues as to who the next  
  
target might be. It would help greatly if I could get to him or her  
  
before Bison does."  
  
Ryoga rested his chin on his hand as he thought. "Well, I was  
  
too busy fighting to hear if she said anything important, but if you're  
  
looking for a good fighter with evil in his heart--"  
  
"I think I know exactly where you can find one," Mousse  
  
finished Ryoga's sentence for him.  
  
*****  
  
Setsuna looked around her and, seeing that everyone seemed to  
  
be ready to begin, tapped her staff on the ground once again. When all  
  
the attention was hers once more, she began talking.  
  
"It seems that everyone is just about ready, so if it's okay I  
  
will now begin the countdown to start this whole... what?"  
  
Mamoru lowered his right hand, which he had raised to get  
  
Setsuna's attention.  
  
"I need to go to the bathroom."  
  
A large sweat drop appeared on Setsuna's forehead. "You should  
  
have taken care of that before you left home. Is it really bad?"  
  
Mamoru closed his eyes, seemingly deep in concentration. A few  
  
seconds later, he opened them again. "Never mind. I'm okay now."  
  
Setsuna rolled her eyes. "Are you sure?"  
  
Mamoru's only reply was to give her the thumbs up sign.  
  
Setsuna sighed. "Well, if there are no more concerns, I guess  
  
we can start. The fighting will begin in ten, nine, eight, seven, six,  
  
five, four, three, two--"  
  
"Soul Fist!"  
  
*****  
  
Peorth wore a concerned look on her face as she walked down the   
  
corridor towards Belldandy's office. The goddess of the present had  
  
never been called upon to make a report before and now suddenly Odin  
  
himself wanted to have a word with her. She wondered if something big  
  
that she didn't know about was going on.  
  
Even though she held a reasonably high rank in Asgard, Peorth  
  
had no idea whatsoever what it was that Belldandy actually did. All she  
  
knew was that it was top secret, classified information and not even  
  
Skuld and Urd knew what it was that their sister worked on.  
  
Now that she thought about it, even the circumstances that had  
  
led to Belldandy being assigned to Special Operations were a bit foggy.  
  
Peorth knew for a fact that Belldandy was originally supposed to be  
  
assigned to the Goddess Relief Office, but something happened while she  
  
was completing the required number of Midgard exposure hours and she  
  
never completed the course. The next thing she knew, Belldandy had her  
  
own office and a memo was circulated informing all the senior gods and  
  
goddesses that Belldandy was not required to report to any of them.  
  
Peorth was still deep in thought when she finally arrived at  
  
the door to Belldandy's office. She knocked quickly on it, and the soft  
  
voice of her friend responded from inside.  
  
"The door's not locked. Come on in."  
  
Peorth frowned. That was strange. Normally, Belldandy would  
  
come to the door and usher any visitors inside herself. What was up?  
  
Realizing that there was nothing to be gained by waiting around outside  
  
the door, Peorth opened it and made her way inside.  
  
"Belldandy, I was sent here to tell you that Odin wants to see  
  
you in his office immediately. We tried sending you a message through  
  
the instant messaging system but we couldn't contact...."  
  
Peorth's voice trailed off as she got a good look at the inside  
  
of the office. It was a mess! The casings of various mechanical devices  
  
lay strewn across the floor, their innards missing. There were wires,  
  
nuts, bolts, and other spare parts scattered all across every surface.  
  
In the middle of it all, Belldandy sat at her desk, her fingers gliding  
  
over the keyboard of her terminal at high speed. The computer itself  
  
was completely unrecognizable. It's casing had been removed and dozens  
  
of wires connected it to various outlets throughout the room.  
  
"Belldandy, what's going on here?"  
  
Belldandy stopped typing momentarily before replying. "I'm  
  
just working on a processor-intensive project so I routed all the power  
  
in the room to the terminal. Did you want something?"  
  
Peorth was slightly taken aback by that reply. What could  
  
Belldandy possibly be working on that it would require so much extra  
  
power? She cleared her throat before repeating her message.  
  
"Odin wants to see you in his office immediately, something  
  
about the special project you're working on."  
  
A frown appeared on Belldandy's normally cheerful face. "I see.  
  
I guess I should get going then. Thank you for giving me the message,  
  
Peorth-san."  
  
Belldandy activated the password protection program on her  
  
terminal before standing up to leave the room. As she was opening the  
  
door, Peorth called out to her.  
  
"Belldandy."  
  
The goddess of the present stopped walking and turned towards  
  
the goddess of roses. "Yes? Did you want something else?"  
  
"What exactly are you working on, anyway?"  
  
Belldandy shook her head as she replied. "I'm sorry, but I  
  
can't tell you that. It's classified."  
  
*****  
  
"Dead Scream."  
  
The powerful ball of energy produced by Sailor Pluto's attack  
  
collided with Morrigan's Soul Fist. Both attacks disappeared in a  
  
bright flash after impact. Setsuna turned towards Morrigan and pointed  
  
an accusing finger at the succubus.  
  
"I wasn't finished counting down. You weren't supposed to  
  
attack yet!"  
  
Morrigan giggled, annoying the hell out of the angry senshi of  
  
Pluto. "All's fair in love and war, you know. Besides, I'm a demon. It  
  
wouldn't be good for my reputation if word got out that I was following  
  
rules."  
  
A large vein started throbbing on Setsuna's temple area. "Why  
  
you... Dead Scream!"  
  
Setsuna produced an even larger ball of energy than before  
  
and hurled it at Morrigan. Before the ball was able to reach halfway,  
  
however, Lilith intercepted it with her own attack.  
  
"Soul Flash!"  
  
As two attacks cancelled each other in another bright flash of  
  
light, Lilith flew through the air and directed her own attack towards  
  
Sailor Pluto.  
  
"Soul Spin!"  
  
Lilith's wings swirled around her body, forming razor sharp  
  
blades that threatened to inflict serious harm upon Setsuna's body if  
  
her attack connected. Setsuna seemed unimpressed, however, as she  
  
easily blocked it with her staff. With a slight twist of her wrist,  
  
she threw Lilith off her staff and sent the young demon hurtling  
  
towards the ground. Lilith was barely able to right herself mid-fall  
  
and land on her feet.  
  
"If you know what's best for you, child, you'd get out of my  
  
way right now."  
  
Lilith giggled. "Oh, but this is so much fun!"  
  
*****  
  
"Do you remember what happened now, goddess of the past? You  
  
lied to me and caused me to lose everything that I had. For that, I can  
  
never forgive you!"  
  
Urd frowned as she listened to Morrigan. Her hands curled into  
  
fists as she shouted at the demon.  
  
"Enough! I don't believe a word of it! The things you're  
  
saying... they're all impossible!"  
  
Morrigan shook her head. "You know, denial is such a pathetic  
  
thing to watch."  
  
"I said enough! If you won't shut your mouth then I'll shut  
  
it for you!"  
  
Urd concentrated a large burst of energy into her right hand  
  
and threw it at Morrigan. The succubus spread her wings and flew into  
  
the air to avoid it, but the attack changed direction to follow her.  
  
She was forced to fire her own blast of energy to cancel it out. When  
  
Morrigan looked in front of her, she found that Urd had also taken to  
  
the air. A grin formed on her face.  
  
"All that time I was rotting away in that stupid pool, I've  
  
done nothing but dream of this moment... the chance to finally avenge  
  
myself. My sister is busy with the green-haired one at the moment,  
  
so it would seem that our battle will be a fair fight."  
  
After listening to Morrigan's words, Urd started laughing  
  
loudly. "A fair fight? A _fair_ fight? I'm a goddess, stupid! I _never_  
  
fight fair!"  
  
Immediately after saying those words, Urd closed her eyes  
  
and clasped her hands in front of her. Assuming that her opponent was  
  
vulnerable, Morrigan fired another Soul Fist at Urd. Her attack flew  
  
through the air at high speed, moving towards the goddess of the past  
  
until it was suddenly stopped by a hand that suddenly sprouted from  
  
inside Urd's chest. Urd's eyes opened. She smiled as the hand retracted  
  
back into her chest.  
  
"I'd like you to meet someone. She's a very dear friend of  
  
mine. World of Elegance, come out!"  
  
At Urd's words, an angel seemingly appeared from her back and  
  
started hovering slightly above her. The angel had one black and one  
  
white wing, and her hair was dark on the left but light on the right.  
  
She had pale skin, but there were multiple dark markings arranged  
  
symmetrically on her body. Morrigan's eyes grew wide when she saw  
  
what had happened.  
  
"Wha... what the hell is that?"  
  
Urd chuckled. "This is World of Elegance. She's my angel, and  
  
we're about to kick your ass!"  
  
*****  
  
"Sailor Mercury, what's going on? Everyone's started fighting!  
  
Should we start fighting too? Who are we going to fight?"  
  
Ami was about to reply with something along the lines of 'keep  
  
quiet and let me think', but before she could say a word she saw a red  
  
blur moving towards her at high speed. She brought her hands up to  
  
defend herself, but it was no use. She felt the air rushing out from  
  
her lungs as she took a hard hit to her stomach.  
  
Her eyes closed and her knees buckled from under her as she  
  
started falling towards the ground. Before she could fall completely,  
  
however, she felt herself getting hit once more across the face. The  
  
impact sent her hurtling through the air until she smashed into one  
  
of Juuban High's walls.  
  
Ami opened her eyes with great difficulty, and found Makoto  
  
standing over her, electricity crackling on the tall girl's fingers.  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
Usagi started saying aloud every thought that went through  
  
her mind, proving that even in the direst of situations she still had  
  
an incredible knack for stating the obvious.  
  
"Ami's down! Ranma and Mako-chan are attacking us! Sailor Venus!  
  
Sailor Mars! What are we going to do?"  
  
Seeing that Usagi was panicking, Rei took charge of the  
  
situation. She positioned herself to Usagi's right and called out to  
  
Minako.  
  
"Ranma's started attacking! Sailor Venus, we have to stay near  
  
Sailormoon and make sure nothing harms her!"  
  
At Rei's words, Minako joined her friend and took her place  
  
at Usagi's left. The two of them started craning their necks in an  
  
effort to see where Ranma's next attack would come from. Beside them,  
  
Usagi was trembling as she thought of the speed in which Ami had been  
  
taken out.  
  
What was going on? Ranma wasn't moving nearly as fast when  
  
she watched him fight that strange boy with the bandanna. Also, where  
  
was he now? When she turned back towards the spot where he had been  
  
standing after watching Ami hit the wall, he was no longer there. She  
  
had to be alert. His next attack could come from anywhere.  
  
"Don't be scared, Usagi."  
  
Usagi turned towards Rei, who had interrupted her thoughts  
  
with the unexpected words of reassurance. "But... but he's moving too  
  
fast! How can we beat him if we can't even see where he's coming--"  
  
Rei interrupted Usagi with her reply. "He's using ki to make  
  
himself faster. If you concentrate, you can feel him release it as he  
  
moves around."  
  
Usagi finally shut her mouth and tried to do as Rei said. She  
  
calmed herself and concentrated on her surroundings. At first, she  
  
couldn't feel anything. In a few moments, though, she sensed it. Ranma  
  
was releasing small bursts of ki to allow himself to move at high  
  
speeds.  
  
He was circling them, probably looking for a good opening. The  
  
realization made her feel like a lost man wandering the desert while  
  
vultures flew overhead. It was like if she lost concentration even for  
  
a moment, he would swoop down and--  
  
"Above us! Crescent Beam!"  
  
Sailor Venus fired off a beam of energy directly above them,  
  
and Usagi was barely able to make out Ranma as he twisted in the air  
  
to avoid getting hit. He managed to change the trajectory of his fall  
  
and avoid the attack. A grin appeared on his face as he fell in front  
  
of them.  
  
"You managed to sense that? You're better than you look."  
  
Minako laughed at Ranma's words. "Did you think we couldn't  
  
see through your little ki-enhanced speed trick? We may not be able to  
  
follow your movements with our eyes, but we can feel your ki when you  
  
use it!"  
  
Ranma nodded thoughtfully. "Thanks for telling me. I guess I'll  
  
have to save it for other things, like beating you up."  
  
Minako stepped in front of her friends, energy swirling around  
  
her fingertips. "Enough talk, if taking you down is what I have to  
  
do to save you, then I'll be more than happy to do it. Crescent Beam  
  
Shower!"  
  
Multiple beams of energy shot forth from the Venus senshi's  
  
fingers. Ranma jumped into the air to avoid them, but Rei was ready  
  
for him.  
  
"Fire Soul Bird!"  
  
A flaming bird flew from Rei's hands, flying directly towards  
  
Ranma. Once again, the martial artist was forced to twist in the air  
  
to avoid getting hit by the senshi's attacks. Rei grinned as she saw  
  
this.  
  
"That won't work again, Ranma. Follow!"  
  
At Rei's command, the flaming bird shifted course and followed  
  
Ranma as he fell to the ground. He twisted again to avoid the attack,  
  
but the bird quickly changed course anew and headed for him once again.  
  
All throughout this, Minako continued firing a stream of Crescent Beams  
  
at Ranma to keep him off balance. Ranma was able to avoid the attacks  
  
without too much trouble, but it seemed that he wasn't able to attack  
  
Usagi and her friends for the moment. Rei smiled as she watched him  
  
flip through the air to avoid her fire bird. It was only a matter of  
  
time before his luck ran out and he would get hit. Once he was out of  
  
the picture, they could concentrate on sending that annoying succubus  
  
back where she came from.  
  
"Hello there."  
  
Rei's eyes went wide with fear. Ranma was standing right in  
  
front of her, his face mere inches from her own. She didn't feel him  
  
use any ki. Her firebird disappeared as she lost concentration. How  
  
could he have gotten to her so fast? She brought her hands up in front  
  
of her to launch another attack at him, but he was gone again before  
  
she could fire it.  
  
"Over here."  
  
Rei whirled around when she heard Ranma's voice coming from  
  
behind her. She never saw him, however, mostly because of the backhand  
  
that hit her as she turned and sent her flying into another one of  
  
Juuban High's walls.  
  
"Sailor Mars!"  
  
Usagi was at a loss. They had seemed to have the upper hand  
  
back there, and now Rei was lying on a mound of wrecked concrete. Ranma   
  
was gone now, of course. She felt him use his ki to get a quick burst  
  
of speed. Now he was nowhere to be seen, and she couldn't feel him  
  
using his ki at all.  
  
"He's hiding. I don't know where, but it's probably nearby. He  
  
didn't use enough ki to get very far. Stay alert, Usagi."  
  
Usagi nodded as she listened to Minako's words. She couldn't  
  
see Ranma and she didn't feel him using any ki, so he was lying in wait  
  
somewhere hidden. It made sense. Why hadn't _she_ thought of that?  
  
"Usa--mmmph"  
  
Usagi turned around and Minako was gone. Not a single trace  
  
of her was left. Ranma was nowhere to be seen as well. Now she was all  
  
alone. Her eyes started watering.  
  
"If you give yourself up to me without a fight, I promise not  
  
to hurt you."  
  
There he was, standing in front of her. Ranma. He was holding  
  
up an unconscious Minako in one of his arms, her blonde hair flowing  
  
over his body and along his legs. Ranma dropped her unceremoniously  
  
onto the ground before he started talking again.  
  
"Think about it. All you need to do is give up and you won't  
  
have to get hurt at all. I know first aid. I'll help your friends out  
  
if you give up. I know you only want to save me from Mistress Morrigan,  
  
but I don't want to be saved. It feels great to be her servant. If you  
  
give up, we can share this feeling together. You just need to give up  
  
fighting and submit yourself to us. We'll be together forever. Isn't  
  
that what you wanted?"  
  
Usagi mumbled something unintelligible. Ranma frowned, unable  
  
to understand what she said.  
  
"What was that? Do you give up now?"  
  
Usagi's mind was a whirlwind of conflicting desires. She  
  
didn't want to fight Ranma all by herself, but she didn't want to give  
  
up either. On the other hand, Ranma's offer didn't sound too bad when  
  
she really thought about it, but how could she be sure that Ranma was  
  
serious about his claims?  
  
"What's the matter? Don't you want us to be together?"  
  
Ranma took a step towards Usagi, and she took a corresponding  
  
step back. Their eyes locked together. A lone tear fell across Usagi's  
  
right cheek. What was she supposed to do?  
  
"There's no need for you or anyone else to get hurt, you know.  
  
Just say you give up and Mistress Morrigan and I will stop the fight  
  
and take things from there. Doesn't that sound inviting, Minako?"  
  
A large nerve appeared on Usagi's left temple. Her hands closed  
  
themselves into fists as she shouted her reply at Ranma. "My name's  
  
Usagi, not Minako, and I'll never give in to you! I'll fight you and  
  
beat you and rescue you from that weird lady with the wings if it's the  
  
last thing I do!"  
  
Ranma shook his head. "I'm sorry about the mix-up. I've never  
  
been good with names. Are you sure you don't want to just give in? It'd  
  
save you a lot of pain and effort."  
  
Usagi shook her head defiantly in response. Ranma chuckled.  
  
"Well... if that's how you feel...."  
  
Ranma started jogging towards Usagi, the girl charging up to  
  
prepare for his attack, when he heard a loud cry coming from somewhere  
  
to his side.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
The two combatants turned to see Sailor Mercury, bruises all  
  
over her body and her suit was heavily damaged where she had gotten hit  
  
with electricity. She was gasping for breath, and seemed to be having  
  
trouble standing up. Sailor Jupiter was lying unconscious behind her.  
  
"Our fight... it's not over yet."  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow at Ami's declaration. "Are you  
  
challenging me?"  
  
Ami nodded slowly. "How about it? One on one. Right here...  
  
right now. No sneaky stuff, just full on attacking."  
  
Ranma smiled. "Sure, but do you really want to fight me in  
  
that condition?"  
  
Ami managed to grin. "Mako-chan did a number on me, but I'm  
  
still strong enough to fight."  
  
Ranma smirked. "I wasn't referring to that. I meant your  
  
clothes."  
  
Ami looked down at herself and found that her senshi outfit  
  
was leaving nothing at all to the imagination. With all the dignity  
  
a half-naked defender of justice could muster, she fixed it with her  
  
transformation pen.  
  
Ranma dropped into a fighting stance. "Much better. Shall we  
  
start?"  
  
Ami readied herself for the upcoming confrontation. "Bring it  
  
on!"  
  
While the two combatants began their battle, Usagi was having  
  
a heck of a time trying to get the mental image of a naked Ami fighting  
  
Ranma out of her head.  
  
*****  
  
"Happo no Yen Coin Return!"  
  
Hinako fired yet another burst of energy at Mamoru, and the  
  
quick fighter once again avoided it with ease. She had been blasting  
  
him since the fight started, but had yet to land a hit. He hadn't  
  
tried to attack her yet, however, so she was likewise unhurt.  
  
It was all very frustrating.  
  
The worst part of it was that if she only had a decent area  
  
attack, hitting him would have been much easier. Something like her  
  
draining attacks. They hadn't been working right ever since she had  
  
tried draining Urd, though. Perhaps they would work now?  
  
"Happo Fifty-Yen Satsu!"  
  
Mamoru watched with mild interest as the pretty girl he had  
  
chosen to fight waved a fifty yen coin in his general direction. He had  
  
no idea what she was trying to do exactly, but he was ready to jump  
  
away in case it was another projectile attack.  
  
"Happo Fifty-Yen Satsu!"  
  
Mamoru continued waiting as his opponent tried again. What was  
  
she up to? The projectiles she had been throwing at him were easily on  
  
par with any attack he had ever seen a senshi do, so she was probably  
  
a very capable fighter, but it didn't look like her attack was working  
  
right now. Strange.  
  
Oh well, no need to look a gift horse in the mouth. Kick 'em  
  
while they're down and all that. Mamoru started running towards Hinako  
  
with his cane raised, poised to take the battle in one decisive blow.  
  
"Happo no Yen Coin Return!"  
  
Mamoru barely dodged Hinako's attack by rolling to his  
  
right. The blast flew past him and hit a nearby building, destroying  
  
it completely.  
  
"Darn, I missed again!"  
  
Hinako charged up for another blast, carefully following  
  
Mamoru's movements with her eyes so she wouldn't lose him. Her Happo  
  
Yen Satsu attacks were still out of whack, but at least she didn't  
  
seem to be running out of energy after attacking like she used to.  
  
It was probably a fair trade, except her students would probably  
  
pay less attention to her lectures now that she had less cleavage  
  
to show off.  
  
Then again, she had read in one of her mangas that having  
  
one's breasts fondled worked wonders for their growth. Perhaps she  
  
could get one of her students to help her... maybe even Ranma? He  
  
deserved to be punished for being such a delinquent, and doing extra  
  
work for the teacher seemed like just as good a punishment as anything  
  
else she could think of. She would have to think more about this later,  
  
when he was safely back in Furinkan High under her care.  
  
Hinako snapped out of her thoughts and found that Mamoru was  
  
attacking her again.  
  
"Happo no Yen Coin Return!"  
  
*****  
  
"I'm soooo tired."  
  
Nabiki sighed as she allowed herself to fall onto the bed in  
  
her room. She had tried to find out where Ranma and the others had gone   
  
off to but with no clues to guide her she quickly realized that her  
  
search was futile. She looked at the clock hanging on one of her room's  
  
walls and noticed that it was getting very late. A loud rumbling noise  
  
came from her stomach, reminding her that she hadn't had any dinner  
  
yet. She started reaching for her cell phone to order some food when it  
  
started ringing. She rolled her eyes as she activated the keypad and  
  
held it against her ear.  
  
"Nabiki speaking. This better be good."  
  
The familiar voice of Gosunkugi answered her from the other end   
  
of the line. "Turn to channel fifteen."  
  
The middle Tendo sister frowned as she picked up the remote  
  
control for the television set. "Channel fifteen, huh? You realize of  
  
course that if I see porn on this channel and you start asking me what  
  
I'm wearing, you're dead."  
  
Nabiki heard chuckling from the other end of the line before  
  
Gosunkugi replied to her. "You don't have to worry. I'm not _that_  
  
desperate."  
  
After several attempts to use the remote control failed, Nabiki   
  
threw it into one the room's corners in frustration. She stood up and  
  
walked towards the television to turn it on manually, muttering angrily  
  
as she did so.  
  
"What's this about anyway? Are you airing one of the girl's  
  
locker room videos you took?"  
  
Gosunkugi was quick to answer. "No, nothing like that. You'll  
  
see for yourself soon enough."  
  
Nabiki started pressing the channel button on the television  
  
rapidly. When she finally got to channel fifteen, she was greeted by  
  
the sight of an attractive female reporter making what appeared to be  
  
a live news broadcast.  
  
"...have not yet been able to ascertain the identities of all  
  
the combatants, but it has been confirmed that Sailormoon and her  
  
senshi are taking part in the battle. As you can see from the live  
  
feeds provided by our telescopic cameras, Juuban High's athletic  
  
field has become a veritable war zone--"  
  
Nabiki immediately stood up and ran out of the door, all  
  
thoughts about dinner forgotten. She spoke into her cell phone as  
  
she did so.  
  
"Good work, Gosunkugi. This isn't exactly what I asked for,  
  
but you've been a great help. I'll email you a little bonus for your  
  
trouble."  
  
Nabiki scrolled through the pictures stored in her cell phone  
  
and sent one of them to Gosunkugi. She heard him get up and type on  
  
his computer as he checked his email. A few seconds later, she heard  
  
him holler with joy.  
  
"Yes! This is the best one yet, Nabiki! I don't know how to  
  
thank you! It's so... so beautiful! I don't think I can sleep tonight  
  
at all. You'll have the information on Ranma by tomorrow for sure!  
  
Man... I never realized that Akane had such deep cleavage!"  
  
Nabiki smiled as she turned her cell phone off.  
  
"That's what Photoshop is for, idiot."  
  
*****  
  
"Well, we've finally arrived! I must say that I didn't expect  
  
us to get here this early, especially since we were just running."  
  
Konatsu stopped running and started doing some light stretches  
  
to cool down. Beside him, Akane was bent over with her hands on her  
  
knees, gasping for breath. Konatsu smiled to himself, noting that the  
  
running would do Akane's figure some good. He sometimes got the urge  
  
to give her some tips on how to achieve an hourglass figure or smoother  
  
skin, but he wasn't sure she'd take them the right way.  
  
Akane closed her eyes and drew in a few lungfuls of air before  
  
she was able to speak. "So where's Ranma?"  
  
Konatsu frowned at Akane's question. "Er... don't _you_ know  
  
where Ranma is?"  
  
Akane glared at the effeminate ninja in front of her. "Konatsu,  
  
tell me that you know where we can find Ranma."  
  
Konatsu grinned and scratched his head. "How am I supposed to  
  
know that?"  
  
Akane grit her teeth and punched the ground, cracking the  
  
pavement as she did so. "This sucks! You know, if that stupid Ranma  
  
had only left his address with me this wouldn't be a problem! Of  
  
course, that _would_ work to his advantage, wouldn't it? He must have  
  
been planning this from the start! I _knew_ something fishy was going  
  
on when I saw him on television with the Sailor Senshi! I'll bet you  
  
the moment he laid eyes on all their blonde hair and long legs he  
  
completely forgot that he had other responsibilities waiting for him  
  
back at home!"  
  
"Like his responsibility to marry you?"  
  
Akane blushed bright red. "Me? Well... I... of course not! I  
  
meant his responsibility to... Ukyo and Shampoo."  
  
Konatsu grinned. "Oh yes, he has a responsibility to marry  
  
them as well, right?"  
  
Akane stomped her feet on the ground in frustration. "No! I  
  
meant... take responsibility but... but not by marrying them! He can't  
  
possibly marry them both, right? Besides, he's got fiancees all over  
  
the place! Is he supposed to marry them all?"  
  
Konatsu nodded slowly. "I see your point. He'd have to take  
  
responsibility... but he'd have to do it through means other than  
  
marriage."  
  
Akane smiled brightly. "That's absolutely right!"  
  
Konatsu smiled as well. "Say, wouldn't it be funny if it turned  
  
out that Ranma was also engaged to one or more of those Senshi you were   
  
talking about?"  
  
Akane's smile quickly turned into a frown. "No it wouldn't!  
  
The Sailor Senshi are defenders of love and justice. They would never  
  
be involved with someone like Ranma. He's an enemy of love and justice  
  
himself! Of course, they might not know about him yet! He might corrupt  
  
them and add them to his list of conquests. I can't believe that Ranma  
  
would actually... Konatsu?"  
  
Akane walked towards Konatsu, who was looking into the open  
  
windows of a house beside them. "Konatsu, you shouldn't look into the  
  
houses of people you don't know. It's an invasion of--"  
  
Akane's eyes widened as she saw what Konatsu was looking at.  
  
The owner of the house was watching television, and she could clearly  
  
make out Ranma and the Sailor Senshi. Her lower lip trembled.  
  
"Oh my God! He _is_ doing his thing with the Senshi! We've  
  
got to stop him! Do you know where that is?"  
  
Konatsu turned towards her. "I think it's at the school. Should  
  
we--"  
  
Konatsu never got a chance to finish his sentence as Akane  
  
ran off with a burst of speed he hadn't thought the young girl capable  
  
of releasing. He shook his head as he watched her figure rapidly grow  
  
smaller and smaller.  
  
"Oh well, I guess I should go there as well."  
  
*****  
  
"Good evening, Belldandy. It's been a while. How have you  
  
been all this time?"  
  
Belldandy tried to put on her best smile as she stood in front  
  
of Odin's throne. Freya was standing beside him, glaring at her. For  
  
some reason, the older goddess had always seemed to harbor a dislike  
  
for her and her sisters.  
  
"I'm doing well, sir."  
  
Odin nodded thoughtfully at her response. "That's good to hear.  
  
How about your sisters?"  
  
Belldandy's lower lip trembled a bit. She hoped that Odin  
  
hadn't noticed. "They... they're in good health."  
  
It was Odin's turn to smile at Belldandy. "I am happy to hear  
  
that. Well, I suppose we should get down to business then. Freya, if  
  
you would please leave the room...."  
  
Freya wordlessly left her post and started walking out of the  
  
room, glaring daggers at Belldandy as they passed each other. A few  
  
seconds later, the sound of doors opening and closing signaled that  
  
she had already left.  
  
Odin immediately started talking. "I've just come back from an  
  
emergency meeting with the heads of the other companies, Belldandy. Do  
  
you know what the meeting was about?"  
  
Belldandy's smile left her face. He knew! He already knew! "I  
  
don't know, sir."  
  
Odin shook his head slowly at her reply. "Apparently, we have  
  
a crisis on our hands. Two of our goddesses wreaking havoc on the  
  
mortal realm. An old enemy that we have previously thought imprisoned  
  
forever has recently been released. Most importantly of all, the most  
  
dangerous account we are currently handling has apparently escaped the  
  
area of containment. Are you aware of this, Belldandy?"  
  
Belldandy looked away as she spoke. "Yes sir."  
  
Odin nodded slowly. "Good for you, then. You see, _I_ had  
  
no idea any of this was going on. When I went to the meeting all I  
  
knew was that one of the other companies has made a mistake. Imagine  
  
my shock upon learning that it was my own company, and that I was  
  
apparently the last to know. To say I was humiliated would be an  
  
understatement."  
  
Belldandy immediately started apologizing. "I'm terribly sorry  
  
sir, but I thought--"  
  
Odin interrupted Belldandy with a shout so loud it made her  
  
ears ring. "No you didn't! You have done many things, most of them  
  
without my knowledge, but thinking was definitely not one of them! Do  
  
you know how I know this?"  
  
Belldandy fought to keep herself from crying. "No, sir."  
  
Odin slammed his fist onto the armrest of his throne as he  
  
replied to her. "Because if you had done any thinking at all, you would   
  
have realized that this is one of the greatest threats that we've ever  
  
faced! A threat, let me remind you, that is of your making!"  
  
Tears started falling from Belldandy's eyes. "I'm sorry, sir."  
  
Odin's own eyes flashed with anger. "You'd better be! I  
  
thought I made it clear before that any further mistakes concerning  
  
Ranma Saotome would not be tolerated! Now he's running around down  
  
there under the control of Morrigan, of all people, in close proximity  
  
to not one but two of the goddesses that control time! This is not even  
  
counting the fact that he is also involved with those little brats from   
  
the Silver Millennium! What were you thinking? This is a nightmare! The  
  
other company heads were talking about reinstalling as a last resort!"  
  
Belldandy's face paled at the mention of reinstallation.  
  
"Please sir! I can fix things! Please don't--"  
  
Odin silenced Belldandy with a wave of his hand. "There is no  
  
need for you to beg. I managed to convince the other heads to abandon  
  
that plan. I told them that you would be able to restore things to  
  
order. This is your last chance, Belldandy. If you fail, I will enter  
  
the code for reinstallation myself."  
  
Belldandy dried her eyes and bowed low in front of Odin. "I  
  
won't fail you, sir."  
  
After leaving Odin's office, Belldandy quickly made her way to  
  
her office. She had to get to Midgard before things got worse. There  
  
was no time to lose. She just hoped that things didn't get too out of  
  
hand before she got there.  
  
*****  
  
Author's Notes  
  
I would like to thank Charles Stitman, M, Mark Biggar, Seaver,  
  
Chester, Juan Paolo Gabrioti, Nathan Diederich, Flores, Wray, Egan  
  
Mandreck, Kevin Henry, Vex, and Griever for all of the help they have  
  
given me for this chapter.  
  
Ya know, I just realized that I'm not content to have a fanfic  
  
that's basically a seventeen chapter rant. I feel that, as a biased  
  
author who plays character favorites, my author's notes should be a  
  
really long rant as well. Here goes!  
  
Well, how did you like that chapter? The battle didn't really  
  
turn out as I envisioned it. The senshi are putting up too much of a  
  
fight and I'm not emphasizing Mamoru's wussiness enough... still, I  
  
guess it'll please all the people complaining about my biased writing  
  
(that means you, Chester). I don't really know what's wrong with it,  
  
though. What nobler reason to write can there be than bashing  
  
characters you hate and making it seem like your favorite characters  
  
are perfect?  
  
Anyway, watch for the next chapters. They're gonna be really  
  
good, sort of good, passable, somewhat bad, or really bad. How's that  
  
for narrowing it down! ^-^  
  
I've been informed by many people that the anime I'm currently  
  
enamored with influences my writing greatly, so I'll be telling you  
  
guys what I'm watching from now on! I've just finished watching Full  
  
Metal Panic. Tessa is soooooo hot! Chidori has nothing on her. She  
  
has that Ruri look that really gets to me. I'm working on finishing  
  
Star Ocean, but all the lovey dovey crap is slowing me down. I've  
  
also seen the Fatal Fury movie recently.  
  
Whoa, I totally forgot to thank people and stuff! I have tons  
  
of people to thank this time around. My theory from the last chapter  
  
was proven correct, as thousands upon thousands of people sent me  
  
links to the stuff that I wanted. Well, maybe not thousands, but a  
  
lot of people nonetheless. Anyway....  
  
Thanks to Francis for sending me Hand Maid May! He was trying  
  
to break his record of mentions in the last chapter, so here he is  
  
again, three more times: Francis Francis Francis! Also, a HUGE thanks  
  
goes out to N_Yah for pointing me out to the most complete archive of  
  
Mogudan works that I've ever seen! When I saw the Outlaw Star dojin  
  
up for downloading, tears fell from my eyes. I swear, I was bawling  
  
like a senshi on her special episode.  
  
More HUGE thanks to the good people at the hentaimania forums,  
  
who helped me find tons of stuff including but not limited to a bunch  
  
of Big Boss dojinshi and a whopping thirty-six assorted works by  
  
Studio Katsudon, not to mention Saigado's AMAZING Mai Special! I  
  
would also like to thank JBee, David Andersson, Quy Duong Nguyen,  
  
and all the other good people who have been kind enough to send me  
  
links to dojin and anime goodness.  
  
Also, I would like to take this chance to extend a very  
  
special thanks to Steven Avery for taking the time to write me and  
  
inform me of so many ways I could make the story better. I would  
  
also like to apologize for the fact that although I agree with most  
  
of his points and realize that following his suggestions would  
  
improve the quality of my writing immensely, I just can't do it. A  
  
Jose Argao fanfic without cliches, AFCs, character bashing, rants,  
  
and long drawn out scenes that have no bearing on the story just  
  
isn't a true Jose Argao fic. Gomen.  
  
Chester should be either laughing hard, shaking his head, or  
  
bashing it onto his keyboard right now. Kewlness.  
  
What else can I talk about?  
  
Oh yeah, my want-list! It's a new feature of my author's  
  
notes designed to help me mooch stuff from friends and fans alike.  
  
I'm currently looking for dojinshi by Big Boss (as always) and  
  
Hanaukyo Maids dojinshi/manga (they're about the same anyway).  
  
I'm looking for dojins by D'erlanger, Nadesico A, as well as anything  
  
by the same dude who made Maria and Maria 2 (who was the author  
  
of those awesome dojins? Is there a Maria 3?) I'm not really looking  
  
for regular anime right now, since I've realized that I have a huge  
  
backlog of anime to watch. I haven't even started on Gatekeepers,  
  
Baki, and Rave yet. Remember kids, anyone who helps out has a chance  
  
to be mentioned in next chapter's author's notes! How cool is that?  
  
Well, not very, but it's something!  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	20. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Ranma 1/2, Sailormoon, or Oh My Goddess. All I  
  
own are MVC2 noobs who think they can win just because they have Cable.  
  
Warning: The Lotus in Konoha blooms twice.  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keiichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
  
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 18  
  
by Jose Argao  
  
"Shining Blade!"  
  
Lilith shot straight up into the air, one bladed wing aimed  
  
at Setsuna. The Senshi of Pluto easily twisted in midair to avoid the  
  
attack, taking the opportunity to strike Lilith with her staff while  
  
the young succubus was still vulnerable. Lilith quickly fell on the  
  
ground, slamming onto the hard concrete of the race track surrounding  
  
Juuban High's athletic field. She cried out in pain as her delicate  
  
wings twisted out of shape beneath her.  
  
"Hey, that really hurt!"  
  
Setsuna tried to follow her attack up with a kick to Lilith's  
  
head, but her opponent was too fast for her. The younger combatant  
  
rolled to the side to avoid Setsuna's strike and flipped to her feet  
  
to resume the battle. With a shrill cry she launched herself into a  
  
spinning jump, her wings extending themselves out to the sides as  
  
lethal saw blades.  
  
"Soul Spin!"  
  
The senshi of time blocked Lilith's attack with her staff,  
  
then backhanded Lilith across the face. The impact caused Lilith to  
  
slam into the wall of a nearby building before crashing back onto the  
  
pavement. The little succubus shook her head to clear it as she got  
  
up out of the dusty crater.  
  
"Ow... I think I broke a nail back there...."  
  
Setsuna paid no heed to her opponent's complaints. She raised  
  
the Time Staff above her head as swirls of purple mist formed around  
  
her. The mist quickly coalesced into a glowing ball of energy. With a  
  
slight turn, she sent the ball hurtling towards her opponent.  
  
"Dead Scream."  
  
Lilith's eyes went wide when she saw that Setsuna's attack was  
  
headed straight for her. It was moving too fast for her to avoid. The  
  
young succubus had no choice but to grit her teeth, raise her wings  
  
protectively in front of her, and hope for the best.  
  
Setsuna's attack made contact with Lilith's diminutive form,  
  
the resulting explosion sending her petite form through the wall that  
  
she had hit earlier. Setsuna walked towards the hole Lilith made and  
  
stepped into the building, noting that it was a music room of some  
  
sort. She saw Lilith in the middle of a pile of broken instruments,  
  
trying to get back on her feet. The older woman pointed her staff at  
  
her opponent and spoke in a low voice.  
  
"You cannot win, child. You have great speed, but you lack  
  
the raw power needed to fight me on an equal footing. I am giving you  
  
a chance to surrender. Yield, and I shall spare your life. Continue  
  
fighting, and I will kill you."  
  
To Setsuna's surprise, Lilith suddenly started giggling after  
  
listening to her words. Had her opponent gone completely mad?  
  
The young succubus pointed a dainty finger at the Senshi of  
  
Pluto. "You're going to kill me? Are you sure that's what you really  
  
want to do? I don't think so."  
  
Setsuna's anger flared up at Lilith's behavior. She raised her  
  
staff once more, charged up her energy, then....  
  
Nothing.  
  
The senshi of time's eyes went wide. What was going on here?  
  
She had the staff all fired up and ready. She was fully prepared to  
  
obliterate her opponent, but for some reason she couldn't make herself  
  
do it. Lilith surprised her by suddenly laughing out loud.  
  
"What's the matter, lady? Weren't you going to kill me?"  
  
Setsuna tried to blast Lilith off the face of the Earth once  
  
more, failing miserably. She lowered the Time Staff and tried to figure  
  
out what was happening. She could still move, so Lilith hadn't used any  
  
paralyzing techniques on her. She could still feel her energy, so it  
  
hadn't been drained. For some reason, though, she couldn't attack. She  
  
glared daggers at her opponent.  
  
"What have you done to me?"  
  
Lilith skipped closer to her opponent until they were almost  
  
face to face. She wore a smile that annoyed the elder combatant  
  
thoroughly. She tilted her head to the side and giggled once more.  
  
"Well... I haven't really done anything to you. Nothing much,  
  
anyway. I just let your real emotions come to the surface."  
  
Setsuna frowned. "My... my real emotions?"  
  
Lilith nodded vigorously. "Yeah, that's right! You see, you  
  
don't really want to kill me."  
  
The green-haired fighter shook her head. She was starting  
  
to feel drowsy for some reason. In her mind she started hearing faint  
  
traces of... music? "I... don't?"  
  
Lilith smiled. "Yep. You were only going to do that because  
  
you thought I was going to steal Ranma away from you."  
  
Setsuna stepped backwards. Something was happening. She  
  
couldn't think straight. Was Lilith behind this?  
  
The young succubus walked over to Setsuna's side. "Don't worry.   
  
My sister and I are perfectly willing to share Ranma. That's a good  
  
thing, isn't it? It's always nice to share."  
  
Beads of sweat started to form on Setsuna's brow. That wasn't  
  
right, was it? There was something wrong with what Lilith was saying,  
  
but she couldn't seem to put her finger on exactly what it was.  
  
"Don't... understand...."  
  
Lilith walked behind Setsuna and put her arms around the older  
  
woman's waist. "So you see, it really is pointless to kill me. You  
  
don't have to do it. You can just do what you _really_ want. In fact,  
  
you can start right now! You don't have to be shy. I know what you  
  
want to do."  
  
Setsuna blinked. "What I... want?"  
  
Lilith flew up until her face was level with Setsuna's. She  
  
pulled her opponent's ear towards herself and whispered softly into  
  
it. "You want to dance."  
  
The senshi of time heaved a sigh of relief. Her opponent  
  
was right. She didn't _really_ come here to kill anyone. She was just  
  
afraid to lose Ranma. Now that she didn't have to worry about that  
  
anymore, she could just do what she wanted and everything would be  
  
fine. Right now, what she wanted to do more than anything was to just  
  
dance the night away.  
  
Lilith winced as the senshi of time started to move and shake  
  
to an imaginary beat. Setsuna's will was strong, and the act of  
  
suppressing it was taking its toll on her. Her sister would have to  
  
beat Urd fast. She couldn't keep this up for very long.  
  
*****  
  
"Take this!"  
  
Urd flew at Morrigan and struck the former ruler of the Makai  
  
realm with a high kick. Morrigan blocked it with her forearm, but was  
  
pushed backwards straight towards World of Elegance, who pounded her  
  
with both fists to send her hurtling downwards. She managed to right  
  
herself before hitting the ground, but Urd was already approaching her  
  
for another attack. Morrigan's hands glowed with power as she pointed  
  
her fists at her opponent.  
  
"Soul Fist!"  
  
A large, yellow ball of energy flew from Morrigan's fists and  
  
headed for Urd, who managed to evade it at the last moment. The goddess  
  
of the past wasn't quick enough to dodge Morrigan's follow-up attack,  
  
however. She took a kick to her midsection as a consequence. World of  
  
Elegance tried to nail Morrigan with an energy attack, but the succubus  
  
quickly flew out of its way.   
  
Urd smirked at her opponent. "I have to admit that you're  
  
pretty good. For a succubus, I mean. I didn't think low-level demons  
  
could be so strong."  
  
Morrigan smiled. "That was nothing. I haven't even begun to  
  
fight. Oh, and your angel is about to take a hit."  
  
World of Elegance's eyes went wide. She turned around to see  
  
that Morrigan's Soul Fist, which Urd had evaded earlier, was now headed  
  
straight for her. It was too late to move out of the energy ball's way,   
  
so she just blocked it.  
  
A large explosion followed the impact. World of Elegance fell  
  
to the ground, creating a sizable crater where she hit. Urd winced as  
  
she felt the pain of Morrigan's attack through her connection to World  
  
of Elegance. Her eyes blazed with fury directed at her opponent.  
  
"You little cheat! How dare you!"  
  
Morrigan just grinned. "This from someone who claims never to  
  
fight fair? I hardly think you're qualified to judge me."  
  
Urd flew at her opponent and attacked with a flurry of punches  
  
and kicks. Morrigan blocked most of them, but Urd managed to get in a  
  
few solid hits. She topped her attack off with a strong roundhouse kick  
  
that caught Morrigan on her side and sent her flying. It was Urd's turn  
  
to smile this time.  
  
"How about that?"  
  
Morrigan laughed. "I barely felt it."  
  
The goddess of the past frowned. She hadn't paid much attention  
  
in class during her younger days, but she was pretty sure it was  
  
impossible for a succubus to fight like her current opponent. Morrigan  
  
was turning out to be even more powerful than Setsuna had been!  
  
Something fishy was going on here. Something that she wasn't aware of.  
  
But what could it be? She had to find out soon or Morrigan might  
  
actually win. If she ended up losing to a succubus in a fight, she'd  
  
never live it down.  
  
Morrigan, on the other hand, was practically bursting with  
  
excitement. She had known that Ranma and Makoto's energy would make  
  
her stronger, but the actual effects surprised even herself. She was  
  
simultaneously fighting a goddess, controlling Ranma and Makoto's  
  
bodies, and keeping their minds locked in Ranma's dream world. Despite  
  
this, she didn't feel strained at all. It seemed that Ranma was  
  
gathering amazing amounts of energy from Makoto.  
  
The shapely succubus idly wondered what they were doing back  
  
in Ranma's dream that enabled the flow of so much energy. It was surely   
  
loads of fun, and probably illegal. It was unfortunate that she had to  
  
fight Urd right now. She would have loved to join in.  
  
*****  
  
"Wow... that was... great...."  
  
Ranma smiled broadly and nodded to himself. He was lying with  
  
Makoto on a bed in his dream world, his mistress having gone away  
  
earlier for some reason or another. Despite his earlier misgivings, he  
  
had to admit that Morrigan's earlier suggestion to have some fun with  
  
Makoto was nothing short of brilliant. Makoto was young, pretty, and  
  
willing to do anything he asked of her. He had taken advantage of these  
  
traits to fulfill his greatest fantasies... several times. Needless to  
  
say, he felt like the king of the world at the moment.  
  
Ranma turned to his side, gazing at the beautiful face of  
  
Makoto. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing evenly, probably  
  
sleeping. Ranma idly wondered if people could dream when they slept  
  
in a dream world. Makoto looked so peaceful and cute sleeping like  
  
that, it was a shame he had to wake her up so soon. Ranma brought  
  
his mouth up to Makoto's ear and whispered softly.  
  
"Mako-chan... time to wake up...."  
  
Makoto's brow furrowed and her eyes fluttered open. She looked  
  
up to see Ranma's smiling face.  
  
"Mako-chan, I need you again."  
  
Makoto rolled her eyes. "Again? Ranma, I don't want to do it  
  
anymore. We've been at it for hours! I'm really starting to get tired,  
  
and my tongue feels like it's about to fall off."  
  
Ranma raised his face a bit and kissed Makoto's cheek. "Aw,  
  
come on, I promise this'll be the last time. Just once more, please!  
  
I need it so bad...."  
  
Makoto sat up on the bed and crossed her arms in front of her  
  
chest. She turned away from Ranma in annoyance. Although she liked him  
  
well enough, she was starting to think that he was only interested in  
  
one thing. Not that she didn't like what they did, of course. It was  
  
actually quite delightful to see how she could give him such happiness  
  
with so little effort. However, too much of anything is bound too be  
  
bad and she was quite sure that Ranma had been having way too much fun  
  
at her expense.  
  
"One more time? That's what you said the _last_ time, and the  
  
time before that. If you're so hard up, why don't you take care of your   
  
needs yourself?"  
  
Ranma sighed as he sat up himself. It looked like he would have  
  
to use a bit of Saotome charm to get what he wanted. He wrapped his  
  
arms around Makoto's waist and kissed the back of her neck.  
  
"But it feels so much better when you do it for me, Mako-chan.  
  
It's just not the same when I do it."  
  
Ranma started kissing Makoto's neck, making the young girl  
  
smile despite herself. Ranma was so cute when he begged her like that,  
  
and what harm would it do if she gave in to him just one more time  
  
anyway? She reached behind her to pull Ranma off and turned around to  
  
face him.  
  
"Just one more time, then no more?"  
  
Ranma grinned and nodded vigorously. "Absolutely!"  
  
"Okay, here it comes." Makoto took a deep breath to prepare  
  
herself.  
  
"Ranma Saotome is the best martial artist in the world!"  
  
Makoto had barely finished saying the words when she found  
  
herself wrapped tightly in Ranma's arms once again.  
  
"Thanks, Mako-chan. I think that was the best one yet! You're  
  
the greatest! Do you think you could do it again? Right now, maybe?"  
  
Makoto groaned in defeat.  
  
*****  
  
"Happo no Yen Coin Return!"  
  
Mamoru flipped high into the air, twisting about to avoid  
  
various blasts of energy directed towards him courtesy of his teenaged  
  
opponent. It was easy enough. He had been watching Usagi and her  
  
friends flit about while being attacked long enough to be something of  
  
an expert at running away. Ms. Hinako's aim wasn't anything to write  
  
home about anyway.  
  
Actually, he could have just ducked to the right and saved  
  
himself a lot of effort, but it wouldn't have looked half as impressive   
  
as an acrobatic display. Although it was dark, he was hoping that  
  
Hinako's energy attack would be bright enough to illuminate his amazing   
  
skills. At the very least, Hinako herself should be just about swept  
  
off her feet.  
  
Mamoru landed gracefully on his feet, then favored Ms. Hinako  
  
with a smile. "This is just silly. Haven't the past few minutes made  
  
you realize something very important?"  
  
Hinako paused in the middle of charging up for another attack,  
  
frowned as she thought for a bit, then brightened considerably as she  
  
figured out what he was talking about.  
  
"Your fly is open!"  
  
Mamoru blinked twice, looked down, then blushed bright red.   
  
With more confidence than a man making an impression of Free Willy  
  
would normally be able to muster, he zipped up and started talking  
  
again.  
  
"What I meant was that you can't win. It doesn't matter how  
  
many times you fire those beams at me, I'll dodge them every time! It  
  
would be much simpler if you just declare your undying love for me  
  
right now so I can get on with beating the rest of the ladies into  
  
affection. There are only so many hours in a night, you know, and I  
  
was hoping to arrange for some fun and games before going to slee--  
  
what on Earth is going on over there?"  
  
Hinako turned to look at where Mamoru was looking, but didn't  
  
find anything really interesting. It was just Ranma facing off against  
  
some blue-haired girl who didn't look anything like Akane.  
  
*****  
  
"Why aren't you attacking? Are you afraid of me?" Ami fought  
  
to keep herself calm to make herself sound convincing, but her voice  
  
cracked a bit, revealing her own fear to her opponent.  
  
Ranma smiled. "Afraid? Naw, I'm not afraid. I just thought I  
  
should let you attack first. It'd be so boring if our fight was over  
  
before it even began, especially since you went to so much trouble   
  
to set it up."  
  
Ami frowned, but she was smiling inside. Ranma's overconfidence  
  
was the key to defeating him. It was her secret weapon. Droplets of  
  
water spiraled up from the ground and gathered in her hands as she  
  
prepared to attack. With a slight twirl, she fired the water at Ranma.  
  
"Shining Aqua Illusion!"  
  
Water shot out Sailor Mercury's hands and headed towards Ranma  
  
as she attacked, but he evaded it with ease. Ranma jumped into the air,  
  
Ami sending blasts of water at him as he did so. He twisted and turned  
  
in the air to avoid them, only to find that a larger blast of water was   
  
headed right towards where he was going to fall.  
  
Ami smiled as she saw Ranma fall towards her attack. He had  
  
behaved exactly like she predicted, taking the time to taunt her with  
  
his speed instead of going right for her like he should have done. Now  
  
she had him right where she wanted him. He would fall onto her attack  
  
and--  
  
"Mouko Takabisha!"  
  
Ranma fired a large golden beam of energy at Sailor Mercury's  
  
attack as he fell, causing it to evaporate immediately. He fell to the  
  
ground on his feet, unharmed. Ami's jaw dropped. Ranma laughed at her  
  
surprise.  
  
"That was pretty good, but not good enough. My turn!"  
  
In an instant, Ranma disappeared from view. Ami frantically  
  
searched around her to find him, but found no success. This was bad.  
  
He could be hiding anywhere! If only her computer hadn't been damaged  
  
when she fought Makoto, she could just--  
  
"Eeeek!"  
  
Ami jumped into the air and ran forward, pulling her skirt  
  
down as she did so. She turned around and saw Ranma laughing at her.  
  
She glared at him.  
  
"You pervert! How could you!"  
  
Ranma shrugged. "Consider that a warning. You're too slow,  
  
even compared to your little friends. The next time I get behind you,  
  
you're going down."  
  
Ami took a deep breath as she stared at Ranma. He was still  
  
standing in front of her, but she knew that at any moment he could  
  
attack with blinding speed.  
  
All of her previous strategies had failed because his speed  
  
made him almost impossible to hit. How was she supposed to win this  
  
fight? The senshi of Mercury glanced to her side and saw that Usagi  
  
had gathered the bodies of their friends in a corner and was trying  
  
to revive them somehow.  
  
Ami smiled. She had an idea.  
  
Sailor Mercury started to glow bright blue as she charged up  
  
for her attack. This was her only chance. If her plan didn't work, she  
  
wouldn't have enough energy left to keep fighting if she wanted to.  
  
Sweat started beading on her brow as she concentrated. Ami started to  
  
glow brighter and brighter as she gathered more power. Finally, she  
  
stretched her arms out and released all the energy she had built up.  
  
"Shabon Spray Freezing!"  
  
The whole area was instantly covered with bubbles and a thick  
  
blue mist. Ranma calmly picked up a small pebble and threw it at a  
  
bubble. The bubble popped and the pebble fell to the ground, frozen.  
  
Ranma smirked at Sailor Mercury. "I can dodge every single one  
  
of these bubbles if I wanted to."  
  
Ami smirked back at her opponent. "Really? I'd like to see you  
  
try. Take this!"  
  
With a gesture of her hands, Ami caused all the bubbles to  
  
fly towards Ranma. The teenaged martial artist dodged frantically to  
  
avoid getting frozen. He was almost hit several times, but in the end  
  
he managed to evade them all.  
  
"Hah! I told you could do it! Those bubbles were nothing. I  
  
didn't even break a sweat. This fight is over."  
  
Ranma took one step forward and slipped on a patch of ice on  
  
the ground. He quickly jumped back to his feet but it was already too  
  
late. Sailor Mercury had taken the opportunity to form a barrier of  
  
solid ice all around him!  
  
Ami inwardly rejoiced. Her plan worked! Ranma was now trapped  
  
in a prison of solid ice. She turned towards Usagi and shouted at the  
  
top of her lungs.  
  
"Now, Sailormoon! Hit him now!"  
  
Usagi got to her feet and started twirling around to do her  
  
healing attack. She raised her wand high into the air and started  
  
focusing her power onto it. She started to glow as she gathered more  
  
and more energy.  
  
"Moon..."  
  
Ami raised both hands to the cage to better focus her power.  
  
Ranma was trying to break through the ice with his fists and she had  
  
to constantly reinforce it with her energy. The act was draining her  
  
of power fast, and she wasn't sure if she could contain Ranma long  
  
enough for Usagi to hit him. If only Usagi's attack didn't take so long  
  
to execute!  
  
Ami scowled in frustration. Whoever came up with the idea of  
  
incorporating dances into attacks anyway? Not only did it take forever  
  
to do even the weakest attacks, it made the senshi vulnerable to sleazy  
  
photographers looking to make a quick buck by selling photos of them  
  
'in action'.  
  
"Healing..."  
  
Ami fell to her knees as she lost more and more power. Her  
  
life flashed before her eyes, and she blushed despite herself during  
  
the naughtier bits.  
  
"Esca-- ooof!"  
  
Just as she was about to do her attack, Usagi slipped on  
  
another patch of ice left over from Ami's attack. She rubbed her bottom  
  
as the pain of falling on her butt from a standing position hit her  
  
full force. "Owie... it hurts...."  
  
Ami fell to her knees, her power completely spent. All of the  
  
ice she created started melting rapidly as the energy that kept it  
  
solid ran out. Ice cold water drenched the ground everywhere, pooling  
  
in the lower areas and running down the walls of the barrier she had  
  
trapped Ranma in. She waited expectantly for Ranma to burst out of his  
  
prison and put her out of her misery.  
  
The sight that greeted her when the ice cage melted took her  
  
completely by surprise.  
  
*****  
  
"Momma, I'm starving! I wanna eat spaghetti!"  
  
Rose turned around from feeding the triplets in order to  
  
address the hunger of her only son. "Ryota dear, we don't have any  
  
spaghetti. If you want, mommy will make you some instant ramen.  
  
Would you like that, honey?"  
  
"I don't want ramen! I want spaghetti! Ramen tastes like poo!"  
  
Rose's eyes flared. "Now dear, ramen does _not_ taste like...  
  
who taught you that word anyway?"  
  
Ryota grinned at his mother. "Uncle Ryoga did! I was playing  
  
in the living room and Uncle Ryoga was talking to Dad and he said that  
  
instant ramen tastes like poo!"  
  
Rose frowned at her son. "Listen to me, dear, that word is  
  
_not_ to be used in polite conver-- Akane don't throw that!"  
  
Ryota nodded briskly while Rose tended to his younger sister.  
  
He wondered whether he should inform her that Kasumi and Nabiki were  
  
trying to jab each other with their utensils but decided against it  
  
since he wanted to see what would happen if one of them succeeded.  
  
"Okay, mom. I'll just use the other one that Uncle Ryoga  
  
taught me. It's a different word but it means the same thing! It's  
  
sh--"  
  
Rose clamped a hand over her son's mouth. "Son I... I'm going  
  
to have a talk with your father. In the meantime, don't use any words  
  
that your Uncle Ryoga taught you in front of your sisters!"  
  
Rose called out towards the living room, where her husband  
  
was watching a baseball game. "Ranma, do you have any idea what kind  
  
of language your friends have been teaching our son?"  
  
Hearing no answer, Rose made her way out of the kitchen and  
  
started walking towards the living room. She hadn't even gotten halfway  
  
when the sound of a little girl bawling interrupted her.  
  
"Mommeeeee! Shampoo took my dolly again!"  
  
Rose ran up the stairs and opened the room her two eldest  
  
daughters shared. Ukyo was crying her eyes out while her older sister  
  
Shampoo was sitting on her bed and playing with one of Ukyo's dolls.  
  
"Shampoo, why did you take Ukyo's doll?"  
  
Shampoo pointed an accusing finger at her younger sister. "She  
  
started it! She took my tea set!"  
  
Rose rolled her eyes and turned to Ukyo. "Why did you take  
  
Shampoo's tea set?"  
  
Ukyo stopped crying and tried to speak between sobs. "I... I...  
  
I just wanted... to have a... tea party."  
  
Rose turned towards Shampoo. "Look, your sister just wants to  
  
have a tea party. Why don't you just lend her your tea set for a bit?"  
  
Shampoo pouted. "I only gonna lend her my tea set if she's  
  
gonna invite me to her tea party."  
  
Rose turned towards her other daughter. "Did you hear that,  
  
honey? Shampoo will let you borrow her tea set if you just invite her  
  
to your tea party!"  
  
Ukyo frowned in disgust. "I don't wanna invite Shampoo to my  
  
tea party."  
  
Rose's face twitched at Ukyo's reply. "Why not, dear?"  
  
Ukyo glared at her older sister. "'Cuz she's ugly."  
  
At that, Shampoo sprang from her bed and tackled her sister  
  
to the ground. "I am _not_ ugly!"  
  
Ukyo grabbed handfuls of Shampoo's hair as she shouted back.  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am not!"  
  
"Are too infinity!"  
  
"Am not infinity!"  
  
"Hey, you can't do that! Am not infinity doesn't beat are too  
  
infinity!"  
  
"It does too beat are too infinity!"  
  
"Does not!"  
  
"Does too!"  
  
"Does not!"  
  
"Mommeeeee!"  
  
"Enough!"  
  
Rose fought to stay calm as she stared her daughters down.  
  
Sensing that their mother was angry and they were in danger of being  
  
on the receiving end of some serious spanking, the two girls piped  
  
down. Rose picked up the doll on Shampoo's bed and sat it down on the  
  
toy chair in the middle of the room. She took the tea set from Ukyo's  
  
bed and arranged it on the table. She then sat her daughters down on  
  
opposite sides of the toy table.  
  
"What are you two going to say to each other?"  
  
The two youngsters exchanged looks of mutual hatred as they  
  
said the words that their mother expected.  
  
"I'm sorry I took your tea set and pulled your hair and called  
  
you ugly."  
  
"I'm sorry I took your doll and knocked you over."  
  
Rose nodded in satisfaction. "Now you two are going to have  
  
a tea party, and you're going to enjoy it! Am I making myself clear?"  
  
The two children frowned as they replied in chorus.  
  
"Yes, Mom."  
  
Rose walked angrily out of the room and made her way to the  
  
living room, where Ranma was still watching baseball.  
  
"Do you have any idea where your children are right now?"  
  
Ranma ignored her and continued watching. Rose growled in  
  
anger and stalked towards the television before turning it off.  
  
"I said do you have any idea where your children are right  
  
now?"  
  
Having noticed that the television was turned off and his  
  
wife was in another of her moods, Ranma raised an eyebrow and acted  
  
like nothing was amiss.  
  
"Where the kids are? What are you talking about? You didn't  
  
lose any of them, did you?"  
  
Rose rolled her eyes. "That's not what I mean! What I mean is  
  
that while you were here watching your stupid baseball game, I was  
  
feeding the triplets and working out a peace treaty between your two  
  
older daughters and... and... did you know that Ryoga has been teaching  
  
Ryota all kinds of words that little children shouldn't know?"  
  
Ranma grinned. "He's all grown up now, isn't he?"  
  
Rose started wringing her hands in anger. "Ranma, Ryota is  
  
eight years old!"  
  
Ranma nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I know. I've been thinking  
  
that it's time I taught him a few moves so he won't get beat up on by  
  
the bullies in the playground. Didn't you tell me that he came home  
  
the other day with two missing front teeth?"  
  
Rose glared daggers at her husband. "Ranma, those two front  
  
teeth didn't belong to Ryota. He's a bully himself! I've been called  
  
to school twice already because of his behavior."  
  
Ranma smiled. "Yep, he's a chip off the ol' block alright. A  
  
fighter just like his father!"  
  
Rose's shoulders sagged in defeat. She turned away from her  
  
husband and wiped a tear from her eye. "Ranma, how can you say that?  
  
Our children are turning into little monsters and you don't even seem  
  
to be concerned!"  
  
Ranma got up from the couch put his arms around Rose. "Hey,  
  
relax. They're beautiful, perfect little kids. They're gonna grow up  
  
to be beautiful and perfect just like their mother. Have I told you  
  
lately that you're beautiful, honey? I'd never guess from looking at  
  
you that you've already had six children!"  
  
Rose turned her face away to hide the smile that made its way  
  
unbidden to the corners of her lips. "Ranma, don't change the subject.  
  
I'm... I... oooh...."  
  
Ranma massaged his wife's shoulders slowly as he rained soft  
  
kisses on the nape of her neck and behind her ear. "Actually, I _have_  
  
been thinking a lot about the kids lately."  
  
Rose closed her eyes as she enjoyed the affections of her  
  
husband. "Really?"  
  
Ranma whispered softly into Rose's left ear as he continued  
  
massaging her. "Yeah, I've been thinking that we ought to have a few  
  
more."  
  
*****  
  
"Nooooo!"  
  
Rose sat up from her bed and looked at her surroundings. She  
  
was drenched in sweat and breathing in gasps. Whatever dream she had  
  
just had, she was glad she couldn't remember it.  
  
'Where am I?,' Rose asked herself as she took in her  
  
surroundings while trying to figure out how she got there.  
  
"Oh, you're awake! How nice. Would you like something to  
  
drink? Tea perhaps? Ryoga already left, by the way."  
  
Rose turned to the source of the voice and recognized it as  
  
Kasumi. The sight of the eldest Tendo daughter reminded her of what  
  
happened. she was talking to Ranma's mother and trying to make the  
  
woman understand that she was there to keep Ranma from Bison's evil  
  
clutches, not to bear his children. It hadn't gone well.  
  
"Er... listen, about marrying Ranma...."  
  
Kasumi smiled brightly at Rose. "Oh, don't worry about it.  
  
Mousse told us everything. Actually, I've been meaning to apologize  
  
to you. I had no idea you didn't want to marry Ranma yet."  
  
Rose breathed a sigh of relief. "It's okay, I don't really  
  
mind. I thought that Ryoga and Mousse were exaggerating when they  
  
told me about Ranma's womanizing ways but apparently-- did you just  
  
say I don't want to marry Ranma _yet_?"  
  
Kasumi regarded Rose with an expression of amusement. "Well,  
  
of course. Now that you've gotten involved with him, it's pretty much  
  
inevitable."  
  
Rose laughed out loud. "I don't know what you're talking about,  
  
but I _know_ I'd never want to marry Ranma. He's too young!"  
  
Kasumi giggled cutely as she retrieved a sheet of paper from  
  
behind her. "Would you care to make a bet? Nabiki has the odds pegged  
  
at ten to one in your favor."  
  
*****  
  
Ranma, now in female form, looked around himself in confusion.  
  
The last thing he remembered was falling asleep in Makoto's apartment.  
  
He even remembered having a strange dream involving her. Now, however,  
  
he was standing in the middle of a field and soaking wet.   
  
The amount of destruction in the area around him indicated  
  
that a battle had taken place there. The state of his clothing coupled  
  
with the splitting headache that he was feeling hinted that there was  
  
a good chance he was involved in it somehow. The presence of Usagi and  
  
her friends in their cheerleading outfits was a sign that they were  
  
involved in it too, and their broken down states told him that they  
  
were probably losing. The generous amount of nubile female flesh on  
  
display told him nothing, but he took all of it in just the same.  
  
Ranma knew he had to quickly and carefully analyze what he  
  
knew and figure out what was going on. By correlating the present  
  
circumstances with his past experiences, he determined that there was  
  
a good chance that he had either found or acquired a brand new fiance.  
  
Maybe even several of them.  
  
Ranma sighed. New fiancees were always trouble, but he could  
  
never really bring himself to hate them. They were much too cute and  
  
cuddly. They were like puppies, but with less fur and more curves. He  
  
would just have to find some way to ditch them until he could figure  
  
out how he was going to settle his marriage problems once and for--  
  
"My Lady Athan, you have returned! It is I, Endymion. Finally,  
  
after all these years, we can be together!"  
  
Ranma turned around to see a strange man wearing a top hat  
  
running towards him. The inhuman speed with which the man moved and  
  
the crazed, lecherous look in his eyes made it clear what he wanted.  
  
"Happo no Yen Coin Return!"  
  
A large energy attack came at the man from behind him and  
  
threw him into the sky. A large sweat drop formed behind Ranma's head  
  
as he watched the man's form shrink until it was but a speck in the  
  
sky.  
  
"Yeah! I got him! Take _that_, you delinquent!"  
  
Ranma recognized the voice before he even turned to the man's  
  
assailant. Ms. Hinako was jumping up and down with glee, displaying  
  
that her teenaged form had just as much bounce as her adult body. She  
  
stopped when she saw him looking at her and pointed at him.  
  
"As for you, Mr. Saotome, I'm taking you home with me!"  
  
A thousand possibilities of what she could have meant by that  
  
went through Ranma's mind, none of them good. He turned around to run  
  
away from the deranged teacher and found himself face to face with  
  
Ami Mizuno.  
  
"A girl... Ranma... you...."  
  
Ami mumbled a few more words that Ranma couldn't understand  
  
and poked Ranma's breasts a few times with her finger.  
  
"Real... they're... you're...."  
  
Ranma shook his head. His new friends hadn't been able to  
  
give him good advice when he told them of his girl problems so he was  
  
hoping to keep his curse under wraps. Now the cat was out of the bag  
  
and he'd have to explain himself.   
  
"Er... about this whole girl thing... it's kinda hard to  
  
explain but--"  
  
"My fault! It's all my fault! Ranma I'm so sorry... I don't  
  
know how but I reactivated your curse!" Ami broke down into tears and  
  
covered her face in shame.  
  
Ranma suddenly found himself face to face with a half-naked,  
  
crying girl. Being in such a situation would be bad enough normally,  
  
but it was doubly so because he wasn't exactly sure what the situation  
  
was. It looked like Ami already knew about his curse, though. Probably  
  
by listening to rumors about him from Nerima. Oh well, at least he  
  
wouldn't have to waste time explaining it to her and her friends.  
  
"Uh... yeah. I guess you did."  
  
*****  
  
"You're moving a little slower there! Are you tired already?"  
  
Urd smirked at Morrigan as she and World of Elegance formed  
  
deadly balls of fire in their hands. They surrounded Morrigan, one on  
  
each side. Seconds later, they unleashed their flaming projectiles  
  
upon their opponent.  
  
Morrigan tried to form an energy barrier to reflect the shots,  
  
but was surprised to find that she could not. The shapely succubus was  
  
forced to fly out of the way instead, barely evading her opponents'  
  
attacks.  
  
Morrigan raised her eyebrows in wonder. Could it be that... no.  
  
What she was thinking was impossible. Ranma couldn't have escaped. She  
  
just made a mistake. That was all.  
  
"Kyaaaa!"  
  
Morrigan threw a kick aimed at Urd's face which the goddess of  
  
love evaded easily. She followed it up with a slash of her wings which  
  
met with similar results. Urd retaliated with a backhand blow that sent  
  
her tumbling across the ground.  
  
"What's the matter? All tired out? I could go on like this for  
  
few more hundred years at least!"  
  
Morrigan struggled to stand and spat blood onto the ground.  
  
The flow of energy coming from Ranma had stopped, leaving her unable  
  
to match her opponent's power. What happened? Could Ranma have escaped  
  
her binding? That was impossible! Still, she couldn't deny that she  
  
could no longer feel her connection to Ranma and her energy was going  
  
down to dangerously low levels.  
  
*****  
  
"Dead Scream."  
  
Lilith was caught completely by surprise by Setsuna's attack.  
  
She attempted to dodge it at the last minute, but she wasn't fast  
  
enough. The ball of energy hit her left leg and exploded with a loud  
  
bang. The impact sent her flying through the wall of the music room.  
  
As luck would have it, she slammed straight into Morrigan,  
  
who was standing outside. Setsuna calmly walked out through the hole  
  
Lilith left in the wall and raised her staff towards the pair.  
  
"It would appear that you exhausted all of your power getting  
  
me to do the Macarena. The fun and games are over. I am giving you one   
  
last chance. Surrender or die."  
  
From the air, Urd landed gracefully on the ground opposite  
  
Setsuna. World of Elegance followed shortly. She charged up a ball of  
  
energy in her hand and smirked at the two succubae.  
  
"Well, it looks like you two have lost this one."  
  
Lilith tried to stand but the pain in her hip prevented her  
  
from doing so. She cried out as red hot flashes of pain crawled through  
  
her body. She turned to Morrigan, and the two of them exchanged  
  
meaningful looks. They were backed into a corner now, and there was  
  
only one thing they could do.  
  
Morrigan and Lilith took each other in their arms and started  
  
kissing passionately.  
  
*****  
  
"Aaaargh! How could I ever live with myself after the way I  
  
acted... and to a nice girl like Kasumi no less! I'm nothing but a  
  
scumbag who treats women like dirt and takes them for granted! I've  
  
turned into that which I hate the most! I've become like Ranma!"  
  
Ryoga held his head low in shame as he ran aimlessly through  
  
street after street. He didn't know what to do now. He loved Akane  
  
with all of his heart, but he couldn't bear to show his face to Kasumi  
  
after what he put her through. He would just have to stay away from  
  
the Tendo residence from now on. A man like him had no business in the  
  
warm, caring environment that Akane lived in. Akane... if only he  
  
could look upon her just one last--  
  
"Ouch! Watch where you're going, would you!"  
  
Ryoga turned his head to see what had hit him. It might have  
  
been a person, an animal, or even a car. He was just too out of it to  
  
notice. His eyes detected what looked like a person in front of him,  
  
but he couldn't be sure because the tears were making it hard to see.  
  
He took one of the bandannas tied around his head and wiped his eyes  
  
before taking another look. He was promptly treated to the sight of  
  
an unknown schoolgirl's underwear. Blood started to flow from both of  
  
his nostrils.  
  
*****  
  
"Ow..."  
  
Akane winced as she brought her legs together and rubbed her  
  
bottom gingerly. That guy had come out from around the corner too fast  
  
for her to stop. She was running pretty fast when she hit that guy,  
  
but he hadn't even moved when she bumped into him. Well, he was surely  
  
going to move when she gave him a taste of her--  
  
"Ryoga!"  
  
Akane's anger quickly dissipated when she discovered that it  
  
was just her friend, Ryoga. He was probably lost again, which would  
  
explain why he hadn't been able to avoid her. He seemed a bit out of  
  
it, though. His nose was bleeding, too.  
  
Worried, she waved a hand in front of his face to try and get  
  
his attention. "Ryoga, are you okay?"  
  
A sickly smile appeared on Ryoga's face as the image of that  
  
girl's panties etched itself into his memories. Being the gentleman  
  
that he was, such sights were rarely presented to him. They were rare  
  
treasures to be kept forever.  
  
"White... with... Hello ki-- aaah!"  
  
Akane cradled her stinging right hand as she waited for  
  
Ryoga's reaction. She had slapped him pretty hard, but he was acting  
  
like he'd lost his mind or something.  
  
Ryoga's eyes slowly regained focus. What had happened just now?  
  
He remembered walking around, thinking about how he had wronged Kasumi,  
  
then nothing. He looked up and found a familiar visage looking back at  
  
him.  
  
"A... Akane! What are you doing here? Did I circle back to  
  
Nerima?"  
  
Akane smiled with relief. Ryoga was finally acting like his  
  
old self. "Hello, Ryoga. This isn't Nerima. We're in Juuban right now.  
  
Actually, I'm here looking for Ranma."  
  
Ryoga frowned. "Ranma? What's he doing in Juuban?"  
  
*****  
  
"Ms. Akane! Ms. Akane! Where are you?"  
  
Konatsu looked around him, trying to find where Akane had  
  
gone. He was running after her, trying to tell her that the school  
  
was in the opposite direction from where she was running to, but he  
  
lost sight of her when he stopped to help an old lady cross the road.  
  
Now all he could do was walk towards the school and hope she would  
  
eventually find her way there.  
  
"Looking for someone?"  
  
Konatsu stopped to see who spoke, then smiled brightly when  
  
he found out who it was.  
  
"Nabiki-san! What are you doing here?"  
  
Nabiki grinned at Ukyo's friend. She had met him before at the  
  
Ucchan's and liked him straight away. He was simple-minded and easy to  
  
manipulate, just like Ranma.   
  
"I'm going over to the school to bring Ranma home. What about  
  
you, what are _you_ doing here?"  
  
Konatsu grinned and scratched the back of his head. "The same  
  
thing, actually, only I was with Ms. Akane... and now she's run off."  
  
Nabiki smiled back. "Well, that's our Akane for you. She's  
  
always going off on her own and getting into trouble. Don't worry about  
  
her, though. She can take care of herself."  
  
Konatsu nodded thoughtfully. "I see. In that case, I should  
  
accompany you instead. You don't know any martial arts and I could  
  
protect you if you were to get in danger."  
  
Nabiki looped her arm around Konatsu's and started walking  
  
towards the school again.  
  
"You know, that's not such a bad idea."  
  
*****  
  
"I see. Ranma spent all that time goofing off in Nerima just  
  
so he could transfer here where he can be free to do what he wants with  
  
those two girlfriends of his that he never told anyone about."  
  
Akane nodded towards Ryoga in agreement. "Exactly."  
  
Ryoga balled his hands into fists in his anger. "That sly  
  
little snake, playing with your feelings that way. All those times that  
  
he picked fights with me... he must have been planning this from the  
  
start! To think that I've been tricked into playing a part in his evil  
  
plans... it's unforgivable! I'm going to kill him!"  
  
Akane smiled at Ryoga. Finally, someone who understood her  
  
feelings! "You do that, Ryoga. Come with me, I think the school's this  
  
way."  
  
*****  
  
"I'm sorry, Ranma. I'm so sorry!"  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow at Ami's reaction to his change. He  
  
had seen people laugh, gape in wonder, fall madly in love, fall madly  
  
in lust, and run away in fear the first time they saw him change. Ami  
  
would be the first to burst into tears, though.  
  
"Hey... it's not all that bad... I've kinda gotten--"  
  
"No," Ami interrupted before Ranma could finish what he was  
  
saying. "Even if it was an accident, it's my fault that you got that   
  
way. I should take responsibility for it."  
  
"Um... great."  
  
Ranma wasn't exactly sure what the big deal about taking  
  
responsibility for getting him wet was. At most, she'd have to get him  
  
some hot water and run his clothes through the dryer.  
  
"I've come to a decision." Ami's eyes hardened with resolve  
  
as she clenched her right hand into a fist.  
  
"I'm going to marry you."  
  
*****  
  
Author's Rant  
  
First off, I'd like to thank Black Dragon for nagging me about  
  
this chapter and forcing me to get off my lazy ass and sit down to do  
  
some writing. This chapter would have been even later in coming if it  
  
wasn't for him!  
  
Speaking of which, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering what  
  
happened to me these past few months. Contrary to the rumors that have  
  
been floating around, I did _not_ elope with Britney Spears, marry her  
  
in a top secret wedding ceremony in Vegas, then proceed to perform so  
  
horribly in our honeymoon that she had an affair with Madonna. Nope  
  
nope nope.  
  
(awkward silence)  
  
I'm sorry, what was I saying just now? Whatever it was,  
  
ignore it. I haven't been taking my medication lately and the suspense  
  
of waiting for Naruto chapter 193 has been driving me up the walls.  
  
It's sorta like how Black Dragon gets when I don't update,  
  
except it's much harder for him because he lives in a deep, dark  
  
dungeon where all the walls are equipped with sharp, pointy spikes  
  
that pierce the tires of his porche when he tries to drive up them.  
  
(awkward silence, a tumbleweed rolls past)  
  
What was that? I seem to have forgotten everything that I did  
  
for the past five minutes or so. It's a side effect of the medication  
  
I just took. I don't really mind, though. I figure it's a small price  
  
to pay for the ability to realize that I'm a delusional fool who thinks  
  
Black Dragon lives in a dungeon and has fantasies involving Vegas,  
  
Britney Spears, and Madonna.  
  
Now where was I?  
  
Oh, yeah. I was writing the author's notes. Anyway, I'd like to  
  
start off by thanking Black Dragon for nagging me about this chapter  
  
and forcing me to get off my lazy ass and sit down to do some writing.  
  
He actually thought I'd lost interest in writing ATFWH! This chapter  
  
would have been even later in coming if it wasn't for him! It's really  
  
amazing how much one nagging email can get me moving (nudge, nudge,  
  
wink, wink)  
  
I wonder why more people don't email me like Black Dragon  
  
did telling me how cool my fic is and why there isn't more of it  
  
coming out? (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)  
  
Seriously, I'm kinda worried that everyone forgot about me  
  
since it really _has_ been a while. I reinstalled my email client and  
  
the inbox looks so barren without all the flames... er... I mean the  
  
_fanmail_ filling it up.  
  
Speaking of which, I'm sure a lot of you are wondering what  
  
happened to me these past few months. Has it really been almost a  
  
quarter of a year since I updated? You bet it has! Have I been working  
  
on making ATFWH the best fic ever all this time? Hell no!  
  
The thing is, I had no idea getting my master's degree would  
  
entail so much work. I've just finished work on a histogram matching  
  
image search program and right now I'm busy learning JMS (the Java   
  
Messaging System) and as we all know, JMS is the root of all evil.  
  
It's the reason Iraq was invaded and the cause of half of all blue  
  
screens encountered by windows users worldwide.  
  
If anyone knows how to send and receive files with JMS, please  
  
tell me before I turn into a delusional fool who thinks Black Dragon  
  
lives in a dungeon and has fantasies involving Vegas, Britney Spears,  
  
and Madonna. Seriously, it's driving me up the walls, folks.  
  
Well, aside from my adventures with JMS, I've also been busy  
  
watching/reading Naruto (which rules), finishing watching Sakura Wars  
  
(which sucked), downloading Saigado and Mogudan's latest stuff (which  
  
rulz), learning to become the greatest Soul Calibur 2 Talim player the  
  
world has ever seen (not even close), applying savage beats in Magic:  
  
the Gathering, catching up on reading the Uncanny X-Men, searching for  
  
manga scans of Futari Ecchi (chaotixubs's bittorent link for chapter 11  
  
is too chaotix), complaining about how much Snk vs Capcom sucks,  
  
watching the new season of Full Metal Panic (Tessa-sama/Sagara forever!  
  
Chidori sucks and shares a name with a sissy move from Naruto!),  
  
failing to find a single place to download Comic Party, and having  
  
crazy delusions involving Vegas, Britney Spears, and Madonna.  
  
Naw, I'm not annoyed with how they'd seemingly do anything to  
  
sell a few more records. Not at all.  
  
Needless to say, I haven't been able to spend as much time  
  
on fanfiction writing as I would have wanted to. In spite on the huge  
  
gap between the release of this chapter and the last one, I actually  
  
spent less time on this chapter than any of the previous ones.  
  
I wanted to finish up the fight on this chapter, but it just  
  
wasn't written in the stars. Next chapter, maybe, I hope. (as an aside,  
  
I started out thinking that ATFWH would be about fifteen chapters long)  
  
Finally, I would like to thank Groo, Vex, Egan Mandreck, Kevin  
  
Henry, John Rasmussen, Bryan Cupp, Jiro, Tonyloco, Chester, Shade,  
  
Seaver, Griever, Juan P. Garibotti, and Charles Stitman for all of the  
  
help they have given me on this chapter.  
  
I'm starting to run out of stuff to rant about, so I'm just  
  
gonna thank all the folks who pointed me towards stuff I was looking  
  
for on the net. I owe you all, especially the good people at Sabin's  
  
forum (which disappeared! ;_;).  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	21. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Ranma, Morrigan, Urd, Kasumi, Usagi, Setsuna, and the rest  
  
of the gang are the property of their respective owners. The author is  
  
just borrowing them for a bit of fun. ^_^  
  
Warning: Tower 7 is impossible. (those of you who are playing Final  
  
Fantasy X-2 will understand)  
  
Warning: Altaverse (Keiichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is   
  
all messed up.)  
  
"words"  
  
'thoughts'  
  
A Time for Wild Horses chapter 19  
  
by Jose Argao  
  
Ranma's jaw dropped. "What? Could you say that again?"  
  
Ami closed her eyes and turned away, too embarrassed to look  
  
Ranma in the eye. "It's my fault that you turned into a girl. You'll  
  
never be able to live normally now, much less find a girl willing to  
  
marry you like that. As the one to blame for putting you in such a  
  
predicament, it's my duty to make the ultimate sacrifice and spend the  
  
rest of my life making it up to you. Not that it's something I really  
  
want to do, mind you, because it's not."  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow at her remark. "So you're going to  
  
marry me, but you don't really want to?"  
  
Ami immediately whirled around to face Ranma again. "No,  
  
that's not it at all. Of course I want to marry you! It's just that I  
  
don't, but I really do, but not because of the reasons that you're  
  
thinking. I'm doing this all out of love, but only because I have to.  
  
I'm not that kind of girl! Do you understand?"  
  
Ranma nodded slowly, taking a small step backwards from the  
  
crazy girl in the blue skirt as he did so. "Um... yeah. I think I--"  
  
"No!"  
  
Ranma and Ami turned towards Usagi, who was staring straight  
  
at Ranma with a determined look in her eye. She struck a dramatic pose  
  
as she launched into a dramatic speech, her mouth moving instinctively  
  
with no need for any coaching on the part of her brain.  
  
"I'm the leader of our team. If any member makes a mistake,  
  
it's my responsibility. I can't allow Ami to suffer because my  
  
leadership skills weren't good enough to see us through. I'm the one  
  
who should make the sacrifice and marry Ranma."  
  
"I won't let you!" Minako slowly got up, pumping a fist  
  
in front of her as she spoke.  
  
"Usagi, you still have to marry Mamoru for Crystal Tokyo to  
  
become a reality. How could I ever live with myself if I stood idly by  
  
as you threw away your destiny? As your friend and a fellow senshi, I  
  
volunteer to take your place by Ranma's side!"  
  
Minako was just about to run towards Ranma and show just how  
  
far she was willing to go to help a friend when she heard a Makoto and  
  
Rei speaking in unison behind her.  
  
"No, I'll marry Ranma instead!"  
  
"No, I'll marry Ranma instead!"  
  
The two senshi slowly turned their heads towards one another,  
  
electrical sparks seemingly flashing between their eyes. They frowned  
  
and pointed accusing fingers at each other. Both girls spoke once  
  
more, vocalizing their syllables at exactly the same time.  
  
"You? Why would Ranma want to marry _you_?"  
  
"You? Why would Ranma want to marry _you_?"  
  
Makoto shook her fist in anger. "And why _wouldn't_ he want to  
  
marry me? We share so much in common!"  
  
Rei rolled her eyes. "So you're both jocks. Big deal. Ranma  
  
needs someone to bolster his spiritual aspects, because his physical  
  
abilities are already top notch. As a shrine maiden, I'd be perfect  
  
for the job!"  
  
"No no no no no!" Usagi interrupted the girls and tried to  
  
reason with them. "You're all looking at it the wrong way! It's love  
  
that makes relationships work. I believe that I can give Ranma all  
  
the love that he would ever need. I'm a princess, you know."  
  
Minako dismissed her friend's words with a skeptical wave of  
  
her hand. "What are you talking about? I'm the senshi of _love_ for  
  
crying out loud. If there's anyone around here who can give Ranma the  
  
love he needs, it's me!"  
  
Rei laughed out loud at Minako's remark. "Oh please. You've  
  
already fallen for just about every other cute guy you've ever met.  
  
If you ask me, you don't have enough love left over to give! I, on the  
  
other hand, have vast stores of tender loving care stored up inside me  
  
just waiting to be released."  
  
Minako's jaw fell open. A look of anger formed on her face as  
  
she glared at the senshi of Mars.  
  
"I can't believe you just said that! I'll have you know I have  
  
more love to offer him than you could ever dream of! I'm not some  
  
prudish shrine maiden who spends all her time cooped up in a temple,  
  
after all. I'm the blonde in this group, and blondes are more fun!"  
  
Usagi frowned at Minako's words. "Mina-chan, that wasn't a  
  
very nice thing to say at all. I'm a blonde too but I don't hold it  
  
against other people that they aren't. You have to understand other  
  
people's limitations."  
  
"Hey, just a minute!" Makoto glared at Usagi and Minako as she  
  
spoke. "You two are talking like being blonde makes you better than the   
  
rest of us! I don't see how you can get off saying things like that  
  
when both of you are less developed than I am." Makoto smirked at her  
  
friends as she looked down on their smaller chests.  
  
Rei glared daggers at her the other senshi as she responded  
  
made her own opinions known to them. "You're all bragging about your  
  
blonde hair and big boobs, but Ranma is Japanese. He'd obviously prefer   
  
genuine Japanese beauty over your foreign looks. Come on, look at  
  
yourselves! You look like rejects from a cospla-- ouch!"  
  
Rei rubbed her bottom where something had seemingly zapped her  
  
on her bottom. She hurriedly scanned the faces of the other senshi and  
  
stopped when she got to Makoto. "You did that, didn't you? Admit it!"  
  
Makoto grinned widely at Rei as she feigned innocence. "I  
  
don't know what you're talking about."  
  
Rei pointed an accusing finger at the senshi of thunder. "I  
  
don't see any other people here who could have given me an electric  
  
shock just now."  
  
Makoto simply shrugged. "Really? I guess my hand must have  
  
sli-- eeek!"  
  
Rei smirked as she watched Makoto put out the small fire that  
  
had materialized on her skirt. Small flames danced around the senshi  
  
of flame as she charged up her energy. "Don't mess with me, Mako-chan.  
  
You're gonna regret it."  
  
Makoto glared at Rei, her fingers giving off electric sparks  
  
as she did so. "Are you threatening me?"  
  
Usagi was getting worried. Her friends were fighting with each  
  
other. That's not the way things were supposed to be! She took a step  
  
step towards them so she could stop any fights from starting. Suddenly,  
  
a short chain of hearts appeared in front of her foot from out of  
  
nowhere and tangled up her feet.  
  
Minako giggled as she watched Usagi fall. "Would you look at  
  
that. My hand must have slipped too!"  
  
Usagi closed her eyes, counted slowly from one to ten, then  
  
found that her anger had not diminished in the least. Her whole body  
  
glowed with power as she got to her feet and turned towards Minako.  
  
"Mina-chan, you're my friend. You'll always be my friend.  
  
Friends look out for each other, and that's why I can't stand to see  
  
you getting violent like this. I'm going to set you straight, even if  
  
I have to kick your butt to do it!"  
  
Minako raised her eyebrows at Usagi's words. "Kick my ass, huh?  
  
I'd like to see you try."  
  
*****  
  
"Oooh, that's nice. Keep doing that."  
  
Lilith shivered with delight as Morrigan ran soft, light  
  
kisses down the flawless skin of her neck. Her arms went lovingly  
  
around the neck of the older succubus and she ran her delicate fingers  
  
through Morrigan's smooth, silky hair. A few meters away from them,  
  
Setsuna gulped loudly and tried to tear her gaze away from the pair,  
  
failing miserably. Urd rolled her eyes and shook her head at their  
  
actions.  
  
"Get a room, you two!"  
  
Urd turned up her nose at the shameful behavior of her amorous  
  
opponents. They paid no heed to her polite request that they stop their   
  
rather public display, however.  
  
A quick glance in the general direction of her remaining  
  
opponent revealed that the poor thing had been paralyzed with shock.  
  
The woman just stood there gaping as her opponents' encounter grew  
  
more and more heated. Her whole face was bright red and a thin line  
  
of drool was trickling from her slack jaws to the ground.  
  
Gross!  
  
Resisting the urge to watch her succubi friends more closely  
  
and jot down the details of a few moves she had never seen before, Urd  
  
turned around slowly and started walking away. Her eyes began searching  
  
the area for signs of Ranma. World of Elegance slowly disappeared, her  
  
presence no longer required.  
  
Urd sighed. In retrospect, she should have known something  
  
like this could happen. She hadn't listened closely to any of the  
  
lectures in school, but she had a vague recollection of being warned  
  
about the possibility of exactly this thing happening when they talked  
  
about battling multiple succubi. They had been rather repetitive in  
  
their warnings, in fact. What was the reason again? It was right at  
  
the tip of her tongue but Urd couldn't seem get it out.  
  
Oh well, it couldn't have been very important.  
  
*****  
  
"How much longer till we get to Juuban?"  
  
Rose ran frantically beside Mousse as the two made their way  
  
towards Juuban High. She was still irritated that Ryoga had gone off  
  
on his own and that Mousse had neglected to tell her that Ranma was  
  
currently fighting with the Sailor Senshi on national TV. It was a  
  
good thing she fell down the stairs while running away from Kasumi's  
  
crazy talk and rolled right in front of the television just in time  
  
to see Ranma get hit with some sort of ice attack.  
  
"I don't know, a couple of hours maybe? I'm not used to taking  
  
the roads. I usually jump from roof to roof to get places, or I change  
  
into my cursed form and fly."  
  
Rose frowned at her annoying helper. "A couple of hours? We'll  
  
never get there in time!"  
  
Mousse shrugged. "Well, trains stop going to Juuban when there  
  
are fights like this, and you can't really convince any of the taxi  
  
drivers to take you to a war zone, so unless you can learn to roof-jump  
  
or fly we'll have to make do with running."  
  
Rose rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Well, if you'd only taken  
  
the time to get off your lazy ass and tell me that Ranma was on TV, we  
  
would have gotten started much sooner!"  
  
Mousse continued running as he replied. "I didn't think it was  
  
important. Ranma fights with all sorts of powerful people all the time.  
  
It's not exactly unusual, you know."  
  
Rose resisted the urge to hit Mousse over the head with her  
  
fist. He had a point, after all, though for some reason that fact just  
  
seemed to make her angrier.  
  
"Never mind, let's just run. This argument isn't helping us.  
  
It's not going to get us a car or anything, that's for sure."  
  
Mousse's eyes perked up at that comment. "Actually, I have a  
  
car up my sleeve."  
  
Rose immediately stopped running. "You have a car? A real car  
  
that you can ride?"  
  
Mousse nodded. "Yeah, a real car that you can ride. I wouldn't  
  
have mentioned it if it was just a toy."  
  
Rose's face glowed with hope. "Where is it? Do you keep it  
  
parked somewhere nearby?"  
  
Mousse laughed. "I told you before, didn't I? It's up my  
  
sleeve."  
  
At that, Mousse started pulling a large object from inside  
  
of his robe. Rose stared in amazement as a full-sized car emerged and  
  
landed in front of her. After a few seconds of shocked silence, she  
  
managed to regain her thoughts as well as the ability to speak.   
  
"Did you just pull a Lamborghini Diablo from inside your  
  
robe?"  
  
Mousse nodded nonchalantly. "Yes I did. Don't you like it? I  
  
got it on eBay last year. I bought it with the money I made selling  
  
bootleg DVDs in China."  
  
Rose shook her head in frustration. "You mean you had it with  
  
you all this time?"  
  
Mousse nodded once more. "Yep, that's correct."  
  
Rose's left eye twitched. "Why didn't you tell me? We could  
  
have used it from the beginning and saved so much time!"  
  
Mousse smiled and scratched the back of his head. "Well, you  
  
never asked, and I don't really know how to drive yet."  
  
Rose would have facefaulted, if only times weren't so dire. As  
  
it was, she just sighed in disbelief. "Never mind. Get on the passenger  
  
seat. I'm driving."  
  
*****  
  
Doing their work as the Sailor Senshi, Usagi, Minako, Makoto  
  
and Rei had all experienced combat. Using the incredible powers given  
  
to them by their transformation pens, they were able to run around  
  
like idiots and fire cheap shots at all kinds of foes. They pioneered  
  
the 'shoot-the-enemy-until-it-don't-move-no-more' style of fighting  
  
that had become associated with all magical girls.  
  
Right now, however, they were rolling around on the ground and  
  
trying to wrestle each other into submission. It just seemed to be more   
  
appropriate for a catfight like this. The large dust cloud that they  
  
had kicked up around themselves made sure that they couldn't be seen,  
  
but their cries of battle painted a pretty clear picture of what was  
  
going on.  
  
"Take this, Minako! Hiyaaaa!"  
  
"Owie, someone just kicked my knee!"  
  
"Stop pulling my hair!"  
  
"Take this Minako! 'Hiyaa'? That must be the lamest thing I've  
  
ever heard anyone yell out in a fight."  
  
"I think my skirt just ripped... again."  
  
"Shut up! It was not lame. I got that line from a perfectly  
  
good Yuyu Hakusho fanfic!"  
  
  
  
"My eyes! Someone poked my eyes!"  
  
"Hey, no fish-hooking!"  
  
"Eeek! Someone just bit my... you know, the tip of my chest  
  
area!"  
  
"Sorry, that was me. I thought you were Rei."  
  
"I _am_ Rei!"  
  
"Oh, then good."  
  
Ami adjusted her visor to be able to see through the dust, but  
  
immediately turned it back to normal vision. A blush appeared on each  
  
of her cheeks. She rapidly typed an important reminder for herself   
  
on never to get a fight with the other girls.  
  
Then she reached over to her visor and pressed 'record'.  
  
*****  
  
"Well, that about does it for the security check. Please enjoy  
  
your stay in Midgard, Ma'am!"  
  
Belldandy smiled sweetly at the handsome young man who had  
  
performed the security check on her. He was cheerful and polite, two  
  
traits that she thought were often lacking in today's youth. He also  
  
hadn't tried to come up with some excuse to detain her for suspected  
  
ambrosia smuggling, another big plus in her book.  
  
There was no reason at all for a goddess like her to engage  
  
in such a petty criminal act, but the customs officials always tried to  
  
pin it on her anyway. She supposed that the mandatory strip search all  
  
suspects were forced to endure had something to do with it. She had  
  
never seen him before, so he was probably recently hired. Belldandy  
  
decided to introduce herself.  
  
"Thanks, I will. By the way, I'm Belldandy. Are you new here?  
  
No one told me we had any new employees in this department."  
  
The man ran a hand through his blonde hair as he replied. "Oh,  
  
I'm just working here part-time until my girlfriend brings me back to  
  
life. It might take a while, though. She still has a lot of side-quests  
  
to do and mini-games to play."  
  
Belldandy nodded thoughtfully as she took in what the man  
  
had just said. "Er... forgive me for asking, but what do quests and  
  
mini-games have to do with bring you back to life?"  
  
The man shrugged. "Nothing, really. I just wanted her to do  
  
them before I came back. It just doesn't feel like she gave a hundred  
  
percent otherwise, you know."  
  
Belldandy raised an eyebrow at this, but decided not to pry.  
  
It wasn't nice to judge other people. She shrugged and started walking  
  
towards the entrance to Midgard. She turned back towards the man before  
  
she entered, however.  
  
"What did you say your name was again?"  
  
The man smiled brightly as he waved his right hand towards  
  
her. "The name's Tidus, Ma'am. Star blitzball player of the Zanarkand  
  
Abes. If you need anything down there, just whistle!"  
  
*****  
  
'Oh no, what am I going to do!'  
  
Ami's mind raced as she tried to figure out the best course  
  
of action to take. She had to stop her friends from fighting amongst  
  
themselves over who would get to marry Ranma.  
  
"Excuse me, but are those young girls your friends?"  
  
Ami turned her head to see the strange girl who wanted to  
  
take Ranma home with her. Ami wasn't sure what to make of the girl,  
  
actually. She didn't seem evil, but she had been fighting Mamoru.  
  
That might have been just a misunderstanding, though. Mamoru hadn't  
  
been acting like himself lately. She decided to try and be civil.  
  
There was no need to make enemies if she could help it.  
  
"Yeah, they are. It doesn't look like it, but we're actually  
  
teen defenders of love and justice. You may have seen us on the cover  
  
of newspapers magazines, and starring in several popular doujinshi."  
  
Hinako quietly mulled the blue-haired girl's words over in  
  
her mind. Her face scrunched itself into a scowl as her mind struggled  
  
to assess the situation and come up with an appropriate plan of action.  
  
Moments later, her facial features once again pulled themselves into  
  
a bright smile.  
  
"Teen defenders of love and justice, huh? Well, you're all  
  
delinquents then! I'm going to have to teach you girls a lesson!"  
  
Ami immediately backed away from the strange girl. This was  
  
bad. It seemed like she had completely misunderstood the situation.  
  
"No, wait! You don't understand! You shouldn't be fighting us.  
  
We're the good gu... er... girls!"  
  
Hinako scoffed at Ami's frantic pleas. "Young girls like you  
  
should be studying your lessons and doing homework, not saving the  
  
world from the forces of evil! You should leave those kinds of things  
  
to the professionals, like mecha-robots! If you can't understand such  
  
a simple concept as that, I guess I'll just have to make you!"  
  
Ami started gathering her power to shield herself from an  
  
energy-based attack, but was caught by surprise when Hinako rushed  
  
right towards her. The sexy teen teacher collided with the pretty  
  
young senshi and both of them flew off the ground, heading towards  
  
the cloud of dust that marked the area where the other senshi were  
  
having their 'confrontation'. The last thought to pass through her  
  
mind was a hope that she wouldn't fall on any of her friends and  
  
hurt them.  
  
The first thought to pass through her mind after landing was  
  
a hope that whomever was groping her ass would stop it.  
  
*****  
  
"Oh my aching...."  
  
Happosai stood up slowly, brushing dirt and dust off his  
  
body as he did so. He hadn't expected the cloaked girl to be good  
  
at martial arts. She was deceptively dangerous. Definitely bad  
  
news for him. From now on, he would stick to normal girls with  
  
normal underwear.  
  
Normal girls and Ranma, of course.  
  
Happosai shook his head one last time to clear his head  
  
of the grogginess he felt, but he couldn't seem to get the strange  
  
ringing out of his ears. In fact, it actually seemed to be getting  
  
louder and louder as time wore on. What was up with that sound?  
  
He didn't really get hit over the head _that_ hard, did he?  
  
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-- ooof."  
  
Mamoru slowly opened his eyes and took stock of the situation.  
  
He was still alive, which was good. On the other hand, he had also  
  
failed to get Athan to fall madly in love with him again, which was  
  
bad. He could still feel his legs, and that was good, but he could  
  
also feel that he landed on something small and squishy, and that was  
  
almost always bad. As far as he knew he still had all of his limbs,  
  
and that was good, but he also seemed to have lost his lucky hat, and  
  
that was bad.  
  
That silly little girl back there must have fallen a little  
  
too madly in love with him, for her to get so angry because he was  
  
paying Lady Athan a bit of attention. He would need to have a talk  
  
with her later about how she should get used to the idea of him  
  
spending time with other women if she wanted to be with a prince.  
  
"My... pretties...."  
  
What was that? Was he starting to hear voices now? Granted,  
  
he had always been one to hear strange voices when no one was around,  
  
but they had always been sweet-sounding voices that could only belong  
  
to beautiful women. He had actually liked them and refused vehemently  
  
when Queen Serenity had offered to cure him all those years ago. He  
  
could remember this one particular voice that he had named 'sexy voice  
  
number seven' that sounded particularly hot. Oh, the nights that they  
  
spent just talking to each other. Those were the da--  
  
"Get off!"  
  
Well, that _definitely_ wasn't sexy voice number seven. For  
  
one thing, she sounded a whole lot cuter than that. And another thing,  
  
she was never so... crude with her words. Oh, she always knew that they  
  
would get down to it in the end, but she never outright shouted at him  
  
to get o--  
  
"I said get off!"  
  
Wait a minute, that sound wasn't coming from inside his head  
  
at all. It was coming from the squishy thing that he landed on! Mamoru  
  
quickly got up to see what had saved him from a rather painful fall.  
  
The darkness of the night made it hard to make out exactly what it was,  
  
but it quickly moved into an upright position the moment he got off  
  
it. It started shouting mean things at him too.  
  
"How dare you fall on a helpless old man when it's painfully  
  
obvious that he's in a vulnerable state! I ought to teach you a... say,  
  
didn't I just teach you a lesson a while ago? Tell me, sonny, how are  
  
you doing? Did anything depraved and perverse yet?"  
  
Mamoru took on an expression of total disgust at Happosai's  
  
words. "Depraved and perverse? Endymion, crown prince of Earth, does  
  
not engage in such actions!"  
  
Happosai frowned. "Really? You're not feeling the urge to go  
  
out and look for women to ravish? Not feeling your emotions regressed  
  
to an earlier time when you knew nothing of the social rules set forth  
  
by society?"  
  
Mamoru rolled his eyes. "No, not at all. A prince must always  
  
ensure that his actions fall within the rules of propriety."  
  
Happosai raised a finger to his lower lip as he thought.  
  
"Well, that's strange. Maybe I didn't regress his emotions far  
  
enough, or maybe I regressed them too far. Or maybe I did the wrong  
  
technique. I've never heard of the technique causing delusions of being   
  
royalty before.... Say, where did you go after I hit your pressure  
  
point?"  
  
Mamoru thought for a bit before answering. "Well, I went to  
  
Sailor Jupiter's apartment because I sensed that she was in trouble,  
  
and then there was this strange woman who transported all of us to--"  
  
Happosai suddenly interrupted Mamoru's reply. "Wait a minute!  
  
You _know_ where Sailor Jupiter lives?"  
  
Mamoru sighed. It was very rude of this old man to interrupt  
  
him while he was talking. "Well, of course I do. It would be very hard  
  
to protect the senshi if I couldn't sense where they were, wouldn't  
  
it?"  
  
Happosai was shocked. This was an important development  
  
indeed. "You can sense where the Sailor Senshi are?"  
  
Mamoru groaned. "Gee, you must be _really_ old. Haven't you  
  
been listening at all? Yes I can!"  
  
Happosai nodded slowly, a smile forming on his face. "Is that  
  
so? Well, have I got a proposition for you!"  
  
*****  
  
"Whew, that was close."  
  
Ranma sat down on the roof of Juuban High's gym, happy to  
  
have escaped the commotion below. He breathed a huge sigh of relief  
  
and stretched out on the roof to rest a bit before heading back to  
  
his apartment. He would have to ask Urd-san for a new apartment when  
  
he next saw her. Makoto was cute and all, but he didn't really think  
  
that living next door to a crazy woman who dressed up in a perverted  
  
fuku to fight evil was a good idea.  
  
"That was pretty fast. I'm impressed."  
  
Ranma rolled his eyes. "Fast? If I wasn't so out of it back  
  
there I would have been here ages before-- wha?"  
  
Nabiki stepped out of the shadows, walking slowly towards  
  
Ranma. "I must admit that while I expected you to get involved with  
  
something like this, I didn't expect it to happen so soon. You've  
  
been here less than a day and you're already cheating on my sister.  
  
With the Sailor Senshi, no less! I've a good mind to--"  
  
"Ranma-san! You're safe! Nabiki-san and I were so worried!  
  
I'm so happy to see you!"  
  
Over the course of his ten-year training journey with his  
  
father, Ranma's reflexes had been honed to superhuman levels. The  
  
various bouts of speed-training he put himself through after that  
  
only served to make his reaction time even faster. That said, Ranma  
  
was caught completely by surprise by the fact that he suddenly had  
  
a bishonen ninja in his arms and on his face.  
  
"Mmmph!"  
  
With every ounce of strength left in his body, Ranma pushed  
  
Konatsu off himself and started spitting on the roof like his life  
  
depended on it.  
  
"What the heck are _you_ doing here? You're both supposed to  
  
be back home in Nerima!"  
  
Nabiki opened her mouth to say that she'd be happy to answer  
  
any questions for a small fee, but Konatsu was too fast for her.  
  
"Oh it was terrible, Ranma-san! Ukyo-sama left on a trip  
  
and I couldn't go to the bathroom, then these two women came and  
  
tied me up on the bed. I went here with Akane-san as fast as I  
  
could, but I met up with Nabiki-san instead and here we are!"  
  
An awkward moment of silence passed as Ranma and Nabiki  
  
tried to make sense of what they had heard. Finally, Nabiki cleared  
  
her throat to catch Ranma's attention.  
  
"Listen, Ranma, it's obvious that you're in way over your  
  
head here. I think I can help you, but you're going to have to tell me  
  
exactly what's going on."  
  
Nabiki smiled warmly at Ranma, her eyes twinkling at the  
  
prospect of getting even more material to blackmail him with. She  
  
wondered to herself about what he had done _this_ time. It had to  
  
be serious, if the senshi were involved. It'd be so funny if Ranma  
  
had somehow gotten himself engaged to a senshi! Of course, it  
  
didn't really matter. It wasn't like she was interested in Ranma  
  
herself. She was just doing this to get back at Kasumi. She wasn't  
  
about to lose a guy to some older woman, even if that woman was her  
  
own sister... and she technically didn't really have the guy to  
  
begin with. It was a matter of principle.  
  
Anyway, though things weren't exactly going according to  
  
plan, they were at least going well. At this rate, he would owe her  
  
his soul before he was twenty-one! Then, when he was so deeply in  
  
debt that he had nothing, Ranma would have no choice but to cut his  
  
losses and leave Akane to become her trophy husband.  
  
Then Kasumi would finally see who was good wife material.  
  
Not that she would actually go through with such a plan,  
  
of course. She was busy saving herself for someone better.  
  
Someone richer... someone cuter... someone who wouldn't borrow  
  
money from her to buy a gift for Akane. She would make Ranma beg  
  
to be with her, then let him know she wasn't interested.  
  
But then, that would devastate him. One way or another,  
  
Ranma was going to become family. It wouldn't do to have him run  
  
the dojo if his will was broken after getting dumped by her.  
  
Maybe she could go out with him for a while, just so his ego  
  
wouldn't be bruised by finding out that she was completely  
  
impervious to his charms. They would have a bit of fun, but  
  
she'd end it quickly.  
  
Of course, they could just as easily have a _lot_ of fun.  
  
She was doing it to build up his confidence, after all, so  
  
why not go the extra mile? It wasn't like he was unattractive. She  
  
could probably teach him a few things too. It was like she was giving  
  
a gift to Akane... or Kasumi if Ranma was really going to end up with  
  
her. Wouldn't Kasumi be shocked to find out she was just a second  
  
choice? That would teach her not to underestimate Nabiki Tendo!  
  
"So then I woke up here, and I had no idea how that happened.  
  
It was like I was at the apartment one minute, then the next minute  
  
I was here. I just don't understand."  
  
To her credit, Nabiki made no outward indication that she  
  
hadn't heard a thing of what Ranma had been telling her.  
  
*****  
  
'I am not getting turned on... I am not getting turned on... I  
  
am not getting turned on... I am not getting turned on....'  
  
Setsuna stared raptly at the two fornicating demons in front  
  
of her. She was confused. She was well aware of the fact that she  
  
didn't normally behave like a deer caught in the headlights when in  
  
situations like this. She had, in fact, seen far worse things among  
  
the many images she had been able to view using the Time Gates.  
  
She still couldn't quite bring herself to move, though. No  
  
dice trying to look away, either.  
  
What was wrong with her, anyway? She was fine just a moment  
  
ago. Not just fine, she was great! She had been kicking that silly  
  
little succubus's delectable ass all the way to next week and now  
  
all she wanted to do was join in so she could maybe do other, more  
  
enjoyable things to it.  
  
'Why not?'  
  
The voice startled Setsuna. She looked around, trying to find  
  
its source. She had never heard the voice before in her life, but she  
  
just knew she could trust its owner. She would do anything for the  
  
owner of that voice.  
  
'Come to us, Guardian of Time. We know you want us. It's okay,  
  
we want you too.'  
  
Then she knew. The voice was coming from the older succubus.  
  
What was her name again? Morrigan? That couldn't be right. Morrigan was  
  
such a mundane, boring name. It didn't fit her at all. Mistress! That  
  
was it! The voice was coming from the older succubus, her mistress.  
  
Her mistress was calling to her. She had to come. She had to come to  
  
her mistress. She had to come for her mistress. She had to--  
  
"No! You have to stop them!"  
  
The louder, less inviting voice snapped the senshi of Pluto  
  
out of her thoughts. She blinked her eyes and shook her head as she  
  
tried to figure out what just happened. It was hard to get any thinking  
  
done, though, what with that silver-haired woman making so much noise.  
  
"Hey you, Sailor-Chick! I just figured out what those succubi  
  
are doing. You have to stop them now or we're all gonna be in big  
  
trouble!"  
  
Setsuna knew who that woman was. She was Urd, the same woman  
  
who had fought and defeated her in her own dimension. Urd had even  
  
broken the Time Gates. She had been fighting the older succubus, but  
  
had gone away. Now she was flying back towards them, barking out  
  
orders like she was a PE teacher or something. Well, if Urd thought  
  
she could just order the senshi of Pluto around from now on, she was  
  
sadly mistaken. Setsuna Meiou was nobody's bi--  
  
"Crap, _I'll_ do it!"  
  
Electric sparks flew from Urd's hands as she gathered her power  
  
into a ball of energy. She lobbed it at the fornicating pair of succubi  
  
with all the strength she could muster, hoping that the ball would hit  
  
them in time. The blast flew through the air at amazing speed, closing  
  
the distance between it's target and itself in seconds.  
  
It wasn't fast enough, though.  
  
A split-second before her blast was able to hit the amorous  
  
duo, a bright flash of white light engulfed them both. The light easily  
  
swallowed Urd's attack into itself. After a few moments, the glare  
  
died down to reveal a lone figure standing in its wake. Morrigan  
  
smiled at her confused opponents, waves of raw power radiating from her  
  
rejuvenated body.  
  
"I hadn't planned on using my true form this early, but you  
  
two gave me no choice. What once was split, is once again whole. Let's  
  
try this again, shall we?"  
  
*****  
  
"Yes, well... I think the best thing to do would be to go back  
  
home to Nerima."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Go back? But what are we going to do about  
  
the mess over here?"  
  
Nabiki shrugged. "Nothing. It's not in our place, so it's out  
  
of our hands. They'll just have to resolve this themselves. Besides,  
  
we have our own problems to worry about. You should get home before  
  
your girlfriends destroy Nerima and I should go home before father dies   
  
of a heart attack."  
  
So saying, Nabiki grabbed Ranma by the arm and started pulling  
  
him away. "Now I don't want to have to pay fare to get back if I don't  
  
have to, and Konatsu gets this weird, unnerving grin on his face  
  
whenever he touches me, so you're going to have to carry me in your  
  
arms on the way home. However, if you so much as think of touching me  
  
inappropriately I will make your life a living he-- what now?"  
  
Ranma pulled his arm free of Nabiki's grip and shook his  
  
head sadly. "Look, what you're saying makes sense... but I can't  
  
just leave things here the way they are. I feel kinda responsible  
  
for all this, you know."  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Responsible? You? What would _you_  
  
know about responsibility, Saotome?"  
  
Ranma clenched his hands into fists in frustration. "Isn't  
  
it obvious to you yet? All those girls in the cheerleader outfits...  
  
that weird homosexual guy in a top hat... Ms. Hinako... they're all  
  
fighting over me! It's my fault. If I hadn't been so devastatingly  
  
attractive to the opposite sex, none of this would have-- oof!"  
  
"You're damn right it's your fault! How dare you run off to  
  
flirt with other girls when you already have a girl like Akane! I'll  
  
make you pay!"  
  
Nabiki tilted her head to one side as Ryoga pounded Ranma  
  
repeatedly onto the roof. What on Earth was he doing here?  
  
"Ranma you jerk!"  
  
Nabiki frowned as Akane seemingly appeared from out of nowhere  
  
and joined Ryoga his in quest to make Ranma one with the roof. This  
  
was not part of the plan. Nope, nope, nope.  
  
"Er... Miss Akane...."  
  
Akane looked up to find Konatsu standing beside her. The  
  
bishonen ninja looked a bit frazzled.  
  
"Where have you been? I was looking for you. Get over here  
  
and help us!"  
  
Konatsu laughed nervously. "Miss Akane... I don't think that's  
  
such a good idea...."  
  
Akane frowned. "What are you talking about? You saw what he  
  
did. He has this coming!"  
  
The male kunoichi shifted his weight from one foot to another  
  
as he replied. "Er... I don't think they agree."  
  
Akane grimaced. "They? Who are you talking about."  
  
A loud, ditzy voice coming from behind her answered Akane's  
  
question. "She would be talking about us, the Sailor Senshi! Such a  
  
fine specimen of manhood must be loved well, not hit over the head  
  
repeatedly in such a fashion... and by a tomboy no less! We will  
  
all punish you in the name of love!"  
  
Akane turned around and saw that she was the target of six  
  
angry stares. She recognized their owners as Sailor Moon, Sailor  
  
Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Venus, Sailor Jupiter, and a young girl  
  
who looked suspiciously like....  
  
"Ms. Hinako?"  
  
Akane's English teacher twirled around and flashed a dazzling  
  
smile at her. "I'm disappointed with you, Akane. You were one of my  
  
best students, but you turned out to be an enemy of love! That's even  
  
worse than being a delinquent!"  
  
Nabiki decided to jump into the conversation with her own  
  
question. "Hey, weren't you guys fighting each other just a minute  
  
ago?"  
  
The six young girls immediately developed blushes on their  
  
respective faces, even as they tried to straighten out their hair  
  
and skirts. Sailor Venus answered Nabiki's question for the rest  
  
of them.  
  
"Er... we managed to... resolve our differences by... getting  
  
to know each other a little better. Well, it's not really the 'how' of  
  
it that matters. What's important is that we're friends now. It's all  
  
perfectly innocent, anyway. It's not like we're doing anything wrong  
  
or weird. We're young and curious! We're just experimenting!"  
  
Nabiki nodded. "Riiiiight."  
  
Ryoga chose that time to speak. "Look, I don't know what  
  
this is all about, but any friend of Ranma's is an enemy of mine.  
  
I don't care if you're girls. I'm taking you down."  
  
Akane dropped into a ready stance as she got ready for  
  
battle. "That's right! There may be more of you, but we're definitely  
  
stronger. The three of us can take you on any day of the week."  
  
Konatsu sighed audibly as he dropped into his own fighting  
  
stance. He had hoped not to get involved in the fight, but it would be  
  
terribly embarrassing for Ms. Akane if he said that he actually agreed  
  
with the girls in colorful skirts.  
  
*****  
  
"Faster, we almost got her that last time!"  
  
Urd and World of Elegance released volley after volley of  
  
crackling energy bolts at Morrigan as they circled the glowing  
  
succubus in the air. Their attacks exploded violently as they hit  
  
Morrigan, causing the rightful heir of the Makai Realm's throne to  
  
become enveloped in a thick cloud of smoke.  
  
Unlike the cloud of smoke down below, however, this one wasn't  
  
just a silly, nonsensical excuse for nookie.  
  
Urd and her angel gradually stopped firing as they grew  
  
tired. The smoke surrounding Morrigan slowly dissipated, revealing  
  
that she was all but unharmed by the assault she had just endured.  
  
"Is that all you can do? I barely felt that."  
  
Urd scowled at her opponent. Swirls of power surrounded her,  
  
covering her completely. When they parted, she was already wearing  
  
her battle gear. Well, actually, it was technically Jurai's battle  
  
gear. She'd gotten it from Tsunami last Christmas.  
  
"Shut up. I'm just getting warmed up!"  
  
Urd disappeared from her position, reappearing instantaneously  
  
behind Morrigan. She brought her hands together and slammed them onto  
  
the top of Morrigan's head, sending the succubus hurtling downwards.  
  
World of Elegance was waiting down below, ready to continue the attack.   
  
The angel pressed the advantage Urd had achieved by attacking Morrigan  
  
with a series of lightning fast punches and kicks. All around them,  
  
clouds darkened as Urd prepared to fire her most powerful attack.  
  
"Spirits of the Sky, of the Earth, come to me from the clouds.  
  
Spirits of Lightning, with the power you lend me, I stand with you.  
  
Lend me your power. Summon Lightning!"  
  
Large streams of lightning converged from the surrounding  
  
clouds into Urd's raised hands. The Goddess of the Past brought them  
  
down to point at Morrigan, and the concentrated energy was released.  
  
Six thick bolts of lightning flew through the air towards Morrigan  
  
as World of Elegance disappeared, her master no longer having enough  
  
power to maintain her physical form. The blast hardly slowed down  
  
as it passed through the area where Morrigan was. It continued its  
  
rapid descent and hit Juuban High's main building, with the resulting  
  
explosion rocking the surrounding area.  
  
"I think I got her."  
  
Urd slumped forward, panting. Her energy momentarily expended,  
  
she wasn't in the mood to move much. When she got home, she would have  
  
the mother of all drinking parties, herself and her angel being the  
  
only people invited.  
  
"Too slow."  
  
Urd's eyes opened wide as she turned around. Her worst fears  
  
were confirmed: Morrigan was still alive. In her weakened state, she  
  
could do nothing but watch as Morrigan fired a ball of energy at her.  
  
She shielded her face with her arms and started praying.  
  
"Dead Scream."  
  
A green ball of light came out from nowhere and neutralized  
  
Morrigan's attack. Urd lowered her arms and found that somehow, Setsuna  
  
had pulled herself together and was back in fighting form. The senshi  
  
of Time brandished her staff threateningly at Morrigan.  
  
"I am still willing and able to fight. You would do well to  
  
remember that."  
  
Urd straightened herself as best as she could and shook her  
  
head vigorously to clear it up some. She concentrated her remaining  
  
power and successfully summoned World of Elegance to fight anew.  
  
Morrigan groaned. "Well, I guess I'm going to have to kick  
  
both of your asses now, right?"  
  
Setsuna smiled. "You are welcome to try."  
  
*****  
  
"Die, monster!"  
  
Father Andersen charged at Alucard with all the strength he  
  
had in his altered body. One of his eyes was missing and his left arm  
  
had been ripped out of its socket, but the deranged priest paid no  
  
heed to his injuries as he relentlessly attacked. Behind them, Celes  
  
whimpered softly as blood trickled slowly down her body from the  
  
wounds where the nails went through her limbs to attach her to a large  
  
wooden cross.  
  
"Did you really think that torturing the policewoman would  
  
get you anywhere, priest? You are overmatched. You cannot win. I  
  
suggest that you stop your antics before I get really angry."  
  
Father Andersen had heard similar words coming from the mouths  
  
of his adversaries before, though he had to admit that Alucard was the  
  
only vampire he had ever fought who tried to threaten him despite  
  
having both legs chopped off at the knees. Just who did this man think  
  
he was anyway? The servant of the church ignored Alucard's warning and  
  
pressed on with his attack. He was just about to try gnawing Alucard's  
  
nose off when something stopped him.  
  
"Did you feel that?"  
  
Alucard raised an eyebrow at Andersen's question. While he  
  
was used to trading threats with the crazy old coot, Andersen had  
  
never really engaged him in real conversation. He pulled his arm out  
  
of Andersen's body, and the priest put did the same with the blade  
  
he had driven through Alucard's stomach.  
  
"I am impressed, priest. I did not think you had the ability  
  
to sense such things."  
  
Father Andersen snorted angrily. He stood up straight, his  
  
body healing its injuries at an incredible rate. "I am a man of many  
  
talents. I must admit, however, that my injuries have impaired my  
  
senses somewhat. Is she back?"  
  
Alucard stood, his own body healing itself at a similar  
  
speed. "It is as you think. The time has come. I am afraid I shall not  
  
be able to continue our little game."  
  
Father Andersen nodded slowly. "It matters not. I have to go  
  
back and report this anyway."  
  
Alucard made his way towards Celes as behind him, Father  
  
Andersen made his exit. The vampire removed Celes from the cross and  
  
cradled her in his arms.  
  
The young vampire opened her eyes slowly and raised her head  
  
towards her master. "What happened?"  
  
Alucard paused for a moment as he carefully chose the words  
  
that would make up his reply.  
  
"This does not concern you."  
  
Celes pouted prettily at Alucard's reply. "Please, master. I  
  
can feel it... a presence...."  
  
Alucard shook his head. The woman was far too inquisitive for  
  
her own good. He would have to give her the answer she was looking for,  
  
lest she go out to find it by herself.  
  
"The Queen has returned."  
  
*****  
  
Deep inside the Makai realm, on top of the highest mountain  
  
in the land, the castle of Demitri Maximov stood looking over the  
  
demon world. Inside, Demitri himself sat quietly on his throne,  
  
thinking as usual. The castle used to belong to Berial, but it now  
  
served as the living quarters of the ruler of the Makai realm.  
  
Of course, in the case of Demitri, the term 'ruler' was  
  
used loosely. In theory, Demitri had authority over the realm and  
  
all of its denizens. In practice, however, he was little more than  
  
a puppet to the whims of Asgard. He spent his nights wallowing in  
  
frustration while the 'advisers' Odin had assigned to him ruled in  
  
his stead. Demitri had little incentive to intervene.  
  
After all, to go against Odin's wishes would mean that the  
  
einherjar assigned to guard him would go back home. The loss of his  
  
guard would give his subjects the courage to revolt against him,  
  
something that they had probably dreamed of doing for hundreds upon  
  
hundreds of years. The demon realm was crawling with his enemies.  
  
There were the few remaining supporters of Berial, convinced  
  
that no one else was fit to rule. They were mostly composed of old  
  
demons who resisted change at all cost. While certainly dedicated to  
  
their cause, their small numbers made dealing with them easy.  
  
There were those who harbored dreams of ruling the Makai  
  
realm themselves. Mostly composed of former generals under Berial,  
  
they resented the fact that he did not transfer his power over to  
  
them when he died. With each general a force to be reckoned with,  
  
Demitri was lucky that their infighting greatly reduced their  
  
power.  
  
Finally, there were those who still hoped that their  
  
beloved Morrigan would return and take back the position that  
  
they still believed was rightfully hers. They composed a rather  
  
large portion of the population.  
  
They were a bit harder to deal with.  
  
Demitri had the power to obliterate them all if he really  
  
wanted to, but it was not really in his best interest to rule over  
  
a kingdom with a population count that was exactly one.  
  
Odin himself had refused to do anything about the problem,  
  
preferring to keep a false peace in place by having the einherjar make  
  
regular patrols around the lands. This of course made the demons  
  
furious that their lands were being turned into a haven for Asgard's  
  
foot soldiers, which in turn made them resent the fact that Demitri  
  
did nothing to get rid of them. Their anger inevitably led them to  
  
yearn for the old days when Morrigan was in power and they could do  
  
as they pleased.  
  
If only Morrigan had died all those years ago!  
  
He would have been able to mount her head on a pike and  
  
put it in display for all to see. He would have gained the fear of  
  
the demon world, if not its respect. He would have been able to  
  
unite his realm into an unstoppable force that even Odin himself  
  
would be forced to bow down to.   
  
She had ruined his plans by evading Rind's death squad  
  
and jumping into that accursed spring in the human realm. As long  
  
as she was still alive, the power to rule over the Makai realm  
  
would never truly be his.  
  
There was hope, however.  
  
It was very faint, having come from a different dimension.   
  
He could barely feel it, but there could be no mistake. Berial's power  
  
was active once again. A smile formed on the face of the lord of the  
  
vampires.  
  
Perhaps he would be able to put that stupid succubus's  
  
head on display after all.  
  
*****  
  
"Dead scream."  
  
Morrigan easily evaded Setsuna's latest attack, but found  
  
herself directly in Urd's line of fire. She dodged a few low-level  
  
bolts of lightning and the predictable follow-up attack by World of  
  
Elegance.  
  
She was being herded.  
  
It was quite impressive, really. Urd and Setsuna's attack  
  
patterns were unfocused in the beginning, but Urd was able to catch  
  
on to Setsuna's plans rather quickly. Of course, Setsuna had to  
  
make her intentions easily discernable, allowing her to figure out  
  
what they were trying to do as well. She just didn't know what was  
  
supposed to happen when she was directly in front of Setsuna, which  
  
was obviously where her opponents wanted her to be.  
  
Morrigan decided to humor them and allow herself to be led  
  
into Setsuna's firing range. She was just dying to know what amazing  
  
new attack the Senshi of Time had up her sleeve. A couple of flips  
  
to avoid more of Urd's lightning bolts put her in position.  
  
Setsuna twirled her staff a couple of times before pointing  
  
the tip at Morrigan. A bright flash of light radiated from the Time  
  
Staff, bathing Morrigan in its glow. Setsuna smirked at her opponent  
  
as her attack did its work. She was uncharacteristically quiet during  
  
the execution of her attack, it being very new and not having a name  
  
yet. It was over now. No matter how powerful a being may be, no one  
  
can defeat the ravages of time. Within moments, Morrigan would be  
  
reduced to nothing, if even that much.  
  
"Impossible!"  
  
Setsuna glared at Morrigan as her attack ended. A thousand  
  
years of aging compressed into a few seconds had no apparent effects  
  
on the still shapely succubus. What had gone wrong?  
  
Morrigan yawned as she floated lazily in the air. "Is _that_  
  
the best you can do? It seems so anti-climactic after that overly  
  
dramatic entrance you made. Actually, now that I think of it, you  
  
should have just let the goddess take the hit and attacked me from  
  
behind. That would have at least given you a free hit or two, not to  
  
mention the advantage of surprise."  
  
Setsuna glared daggers at Morrigan. Urd appeared beside her  
  
and nudged her on her side. "Hey, that thing you just did, is it some  
  
kind of delayed attack where the effects aren't obvious immediately?"  
  
Setsuna shook her head. Urd tried again.  
  
"Well, in that case, does it have an extremely powerful  
  
non-physical effect? Maybe it messes with her mind?"  
  
Setsuna shook her head again.  
  
Urd nodded thoughtfully. "I didn't think so. I just wanted to  
  
be sure. We're screwed now, right?"  
  
Setsuna took a deep breath. "Yeah, unless you can come up with  
  
anything."  
  
Urd gulped.  
  
*****  
  
"Hey, did anyone get the license plate on that gorilla?"  
  
Ranma opened his eyes slowly and raised himself to a sitting  
  
position. The first thing he noticed was that he was still on the roof  
  
of Juuban High's gym. The second thing he noticed was that he had a  
  
splitting headache. The third thing he noticed was a bright blue ball  
  
of energy as it whizzed by his left ear. There were voices too, in  
  
the background. He could somewhat make out what they were saying.  
  
"Shishi hokodan!"  
  
"Happo no Yen Coin Return!"  
  
"Shabon Spray!"  
  
"Hey, no fair. I can't see a thing!"  
  
"Owie! I just slipped again."  
  
"Just what is this attack supposed to do anyway? Soap me to  
  
death?"  
  
"I've got one, Ms. Akane! I'm going to do a lip-lock submission  
  
hold right now!"  
  
"Let go of me, you idiot! I'm on _you're_ side. It's me,  
  
Ryo-- mmmmph!"  
  
"Happo no Yen Coin Return!"  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
"Wow, they really _do_ cancel each other out. It's just like  
  
in the videogames!"  
  
"Usagi-chan, stop that! Someone might _see_!"  
  
"Ryoga, where are you? I can't see a thing."  
  
"Okay, this is Rei speaking. You know who you are and you know  
  
what you're doing. Stop it."  
  
"She's down, Ms. Akane! Completely unconscious. It's kinda  
  
funny, though, since my lip-locks never used to do that."  
  
"...."  
  
Ranma got up and took a deep breath. Fortunately for him, he  
  
was out of range of the strange mist attack that had the others in a  
  
pinch. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to leave, after all. The  
  
last thing he needed was to have Konatsu do a submission hold on him,  
  
too. Ranma was just about to jump away when he saw something out of  
  
the corner of his eye.  
  
"Hey, what's that?"  
  
Ranma squinted to get a better look at the strange, glowing  
  
object in the sky. It seemed to be getting larger and larger, like  
  
it was falling or something. Falling towards him, in fact. Ranma's  
  
instincts saw the unknown falling object and demanded that he catch  
  
it. After all, it might be food.  
  
Now Ranma was never one to ignore his instincts. Even though  
  
they mostly equated to 'run when chased', 'chase when run from', and  
  
'eat when given the chance', his gut instincts had served him well  
  
over the course of his life. With a few well-timed leaps, he had an  
  
armful of Goddess all to himself.  
  
"Ms. Urd?"  
  
To his credit, Ranma was not really all that surprised to  
  
find his academic advisor falling from the sky. Stranger things had  
  
happened to him, after all. His right hand was firmly latched onto  
  
one of Urd's breasts, but Ranma was already used to the feeling and  
  
never even noticed it.  
  
"...nnimm...bunnni...."  
  
Ranma frowned. Did Ms. Urd want to talk about rabbits? Why  
  
would she want to do that?  
  
"...inn...commmming...."  
  
Ah, incoming. That was what Ms. Urd said. Incoming. Now what  
  
was _that_ supposed to mean? Ranma was still busy trying to figure out  
  
the meaning of Urd's message when Setsuna fell from the sky as well.  
  
Ranma leapt into the air and caught her with his left arm, his left  
  
hand going straight for one of her breasts. The poor martial artist  
  
acted completely on auto-pilot and never even realized it.  
  
"Well, Ranma, aren't you the ladies man tonight."  
  
Ranma cringed as he heard the familiar voice. Why did she  
  
always have to be around when these things happened to him?  
  
"Twenty thousand yen for my silence, Saotome. That, and you  
  
go back home to Nerima. Give me what I want or my little sister hears  
  
about how you've been playing around with older women."  
  
Ranma groaned. "Nabiki, you've got it all wrong. This isn't  
  
what it looks like!"  
  
Nabiki had seen the whole thing and was well aware that it was  
  
all innocent, but the ball was in her court and Nabiki Tendo always  
  
pressed an advantage.  
  
"Look, Saotome, my offer is non-negotiable. Just give me the  
  
money and I'll go home with you and everyone will be happy."  
  
Of course, as luck would have it, Sailor Mercury's Shabon  
  
Spray chose to dissipate just as Nabiki was starting to speak. When  
  
the mist finally faded, a very angry Akane was revealed.  
  
"Ranma you jerk! I came all the way from Nerima just to take  
  
you home and I find you molesting two grown women and propositioning  
  
my own sister of all people. You're such a... such a jerk!"  
  
If you really think about it, it was quite an amazing  
  
coincidence that Akane saw and heard just enough to create a  
  
completely wrong explanation for the events that were happening  
  
around her. What was even more amazing was that by the time she  
  
got to where Ranma was and started stomping on him, Ryoga was  
  
already there and beating him to the ground. Pretty impressive  
  
reflexes for a guy who was out cold a moment ago.  
  
Setsuna and Urd were thrown off Ranma's arms by Ryoga's  
  
initial attack and were safely cuddling off to one side. Several  
  
seconds passed before they awakened, stood up, and tried very hard  
  
to pretend that nothing had happened. They tried so hard, in fact,  
  
that neither of them thought to warn the others that a powerful  
  
succubus was hot on their heels and likely to wreak havoc and  
  
destruction when she got to the school.  
  
"Wow, everybody's back here. How convenient. Now I can  
  
beat you all up before wiping your memories and starting fresh with  
  
my Ranma."  
  
The group of fighters assembled on the gym's roof all turned  
  
towards the new arrival. Morrigan pointed her arms towards them as  
  
various parts of her wings disengaged from her body and morphed into  
  
large cannons. The succubus's shapely body glowed with power as she  
  
executed her most powerful attack.  
  
"Soul Eraser!"  
  
Large beams of pure energy burst forth towards the gym's roof.  
  
Only Urd and Setsuna's reflexes were fast enough to even realize what  
  
was happening, and they were already far too weakened to do anything  
  
about it.  
  
"Stasis."  
  
Suddenly, the entire school was bathed in a pale blue glow.  
  
Morrigan's beam attack froze in mid-air, as did everything else for  
  
that matter. Every inanimate thing touched by the glow was rendered  
  
motionless.  
  
As for the people, they found that they could move their  
  
heads, but not much else. Urd recognized the voice of the spellcaster  
  
even before she saw who it was.  
  
"Belldandy!"  
  
Morrigan's eyes widened at the sight of Belldandy. "Well,  
  
this is certainly a surprise. I haven't seen you in centuries! You're  
  
all grown up now, and a goddess to boot! You've done very well for  
  
yourself since we last met, Anita."  
  
Belldandy replied calmly, almost as if having a civil  
  
conversation with your opponent was the most natural thing to do.  
  
Of course, the battleground being Juuban, it actually _was_ a  
  
perfectly normal action.  
  
"It certainly has been a while. Uncle Donovan took a  
  
clerical position in Asgard after defeating Pyron. You should come  
  
and visit him sometime. He got me the job interview for the position  
  
of goddess. By the way, I am called Belldandy now."  
  
Morrigan nodded slowly before answering. "Really, so he's  
  
still alive? I'll have to meet up with him sometime. Anyway, I'm  
  
curious to know what you expect to accomplish with this spell of  
  
yours. I mean, the stasis field immobilizes me but it does the same  
  
thing to you. Sooner or later you're going to run out of energy to  
  
maintain it and I'll break free."  
  
Belldandy smiled brightly. "Yes, I know. It's a good thing  
  
that angels are unaffected by stasis."  
  
At that, Holy Bell appeared behind Morrigan and poured a  
  
pail of water on the motionless succubus. The contact of the liquid on  
  
Morrigan's skin triggered a most unexpected reaction. The wet succubus  
  
rapidly separated into two familiar figures.  
  
Urd's jaw dropped wide open. After a moment spent gaping at  
  
the smaller of the two, she regained enough coherence to utter a single  
  
word. "Skuld!?!"  
  
Meanwhile, a look of pure joy was adorning Konatsu's face.  
  
"Ukyo-Sama, you're alive! Can I go to the bathroom now?"  
  
Skuld and Ukyo were able to give surprised looks at the  
  
assembled fighters before both fell unconscious. Holy Bell caught the  
  
pair in her arms as the two started falling.  
  
Belldandy turned towards the others and bowed low. "I am  
  
terribly sorry for everything that has happened. Truly I am. If I  
  
could, I'd stay to help fix things. As it is, however, I must return  
  
to Asgard with my sisters."  
  
At that, bright beams of light fell from the sky right onto  
  
Holy Bell, Belldandy, and Urd. An instant later, they were gone.  
  
*****  
  
Akane sighed.  
  
Five minutes had passed since a beautiful woman she had never  
  
seen before came out of nowhere to save her life from another equally  
  
attractive stranger. She was hanging out at Juuban High with the Sailor   
  
Senshi and it seemed that the famous heroines she had long admired were   
  
not at all like she thought they were. To top it all off, they were  
  
giving her some very disturbing news.  
  
Akane took a deep breath before going through the facts again,  
  
just to make sure she had everything straight.  
  
"So basically what you're saying is that you're _all_ engaged  
  
to Ranma, but he didn't know about it because the actual engagements  
  
took place thousands of years ago, in a past life."  
  
Usagi, Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako nodded their heads in  
  
unison.  
  
Akane continued. "Also, aside from the five of you, Ranma is  
  
likewise engaged to four other Senshi, that strange lady over there  
  
among them. The fact that you're all engaged with him doesn't really  
  
bother all of you."  
  
The six girls all took a moment to glace at a nearby corner,  
  
where Setsuna was playing rock-paper-scissors with Ms. Hinako. Usagi  
  
responded thoughtfully to Akane's statement.  
  
"Well, I dunno about the outers, but the five of us have  
  
already... resolved our differences about that. We feel that we can...  
  
er... find a compromise that will make everyone happy."  
  
Akane tried to ignore the shy, blushing looks that the senshi  
  
gave each other as Usagi spoke. "You are also all aware that Ranma is  
  
already engaged to many other women, but these other engagements don't  
  
bother you at all."  
  
Usagi replied once again. "Well, we feel that Ranma isn't  
  
getting all the love he deserves from those other girls. As defenders  
  
of love and justice, it's our duty to help him get out of these other  
  
engagements. The fact that he would be free to accept our love once  
  
that happens has nothing to do with our decision, of course."  
  
Akane rolled her eyes. "What's up with your friend, anyway?"  
  
The six girls glanced at Setsuna and Hinako once again. Rei  
  
replied to Akane's question this time.  
  
"Well, we're not really sure. She hasn't been herself lately.  
  
She's not usually like that."  
  
Akane groaned. "You guys really aren't joking?"  
  
Usagi smiled brightly. "Not at all."  
  
Akane growled in frustration. "You're all crazy. Nabiki, tell  
  
them that they're all crazy!"  
  
Nabiki remained seated on the rock where she was waiting for  
  
Konatsu to come back from the men's room. An unconscious Ranma was  
  
sprawled out on the ground in front of her.  
  
"No, I think I'll just stay right here. We wouldn't be in this  
  
mess if it wasn't for you, anyway, so you figure out a way to get rid  
  
of little miss blonde hair and her amazing friends."  
  
Akane turned towards Nabiki. "Nabiki, are you implying that  
  
all this is my fault?"  
  
Nabiki stared icily at her sister. "I'm not implying anything,  
  
Akane. I'm saying it right to your face. Ranma and I would already have   
  
been home by now if you hadn't come along and knocked him out."  
  
Akane stared right back at Nabiki. "I can't believe that  
  
you're blaming me for what happened. Can't you see that this is all  
  
Ranma's fault?"  
  
Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Akane, not _that_ again.  
  
You blame Ranma whenever anything bad happens."  
  
Akane shook her fist in anger. "That's because the bad things  
  
that keep happening to us are all his fault! Why are you taking his  
  
side anyway? It's not as if you even like him!"  
  
At Akane's words, Nabiki's expression became unreadable. She  
  
stood up from her seat and walked slowly towards her sister.  
  
"Whether or not I like Ranma has nothing to do with this,  
  
Akane."  
  
Akane's face darkened. "Oh my God. You _do_ like him. I can't  
  
believe this. My own sister is turning against me!"  
  
Nabiki was about to shoot back with her reply but she was  
  
interrupted by a loud crash.  
  
Rose calmly stepped out of Mousse's car as Mousse himself  
  
surveyed the damage caused by her hitting the tree. "Where is Ranma  
  
Saotome? Hand him over to me right now!"  
  
A moment after saying those words, Rose found herself the  
  
target of seven angry stares. She smiled uneasily. "Look, it's not as  
  
if I want to marry him or anything. It's just that I think someone is  
  
after him and I want to make sure he's alright."  
  
Akane, Nabiki and the senshi softened their gazes after Rose's  
  
explanation. Nabiki gestured absently behind her, towards the rock she  
  
had been sitting on. "Ranma's safe and sound. He's sleeping somewhere  
  
under there."  
  
Rose looked in the direction Nabiki had pointed to. "Under  
  
where?"  
  
Seven pairs of eyes widened as they realized what had happened.  
  
Off to the side, Hinako and Setsuna continued playing their game. Ami  
  
was the first to put her thoughts into words.  
  
"He's gone."  
  
*****  
  
Author's Rant  
  
Ah... the author's rant. I used to call this section the  
  
author's notes, but they never really had any notes in them. That's  
  
why I decided to call a spade a spade and turn this into a full-blown  
  
author's rant. Well, actually, it already was a rant. I just started  
  
calling it one.  
  
Well, the first arc's finally finished! The next arc will  
  
feature something old, something new, something female, and something  
  
cool. I'm hoping to get it done sooner than later, but we all know  
  
how that usually ends up.  
  
I'm sure you're all wondering why this took so long, and the  
  
short answer is Final Fantasy. I bought FFX a while back but didn't  
  
play it right away because I wanted to wait for FFX-2. Boy what a  
  
mistake _that_ was. It took forever to beat FFX, what with all the  
  
stat-maxing, chocobo racing, lightning dodging, and all the other  
  
annoying mini-games you have to play. Then after that, I had to do  
  
it all over again in FFX-2, which I had to beat twice because I only  
  
got 99% in my first game. Killing Trema the first time around was a  
  
pain. I now have two Iron Dukes, but Catnip-gunners still rule all.  
  
In other news, I hear that the international version takes even longer  
  
to beat. Aren't you glad I didn't pick _that_ one up?  
  
Another reason is that I have Eliza Dushku on my desktop  
  
wallpaper, and every time I boot up my computer I am struck by how  
  
amazingly attractive she is. Wastes a few seconds of my life each  
  
day, she does.  
  
Anyway, onto business. My last rant did not contain a want-  
  
list, and I realized because of that how stupid not including one was.  
  
The thing is, I simply do not have the time to live my life, write my  
  
fics, and search for all the cool stuff the internet has to offer all  
  
at the same time. That's why from now on, I'll be including a list of  
  
everything I'm looking for after every chapter. The way I figure it is  
  
that I get what I want faster, and can therefore devote more time to  
  
writing, which is good for my readers (that would be you guys).  
  
Also, I'm kinda hoping it'll be more than just _my_ want list.  
  
I mean, if you see something you like in there, you can email me and  
  
I'll forward all my information to ya. It'll be like a public want  
  
list, except the public is limited to all the readers of my fics.  
  
Besides, it's not like you actually have to look for the stuff. Just  
  
drop me a line if you know where to find them. Anyway, here it is.  
  
.~@*Jose Argao's Amazing Want-List*@~.  
  
1. Japanese Rom of Super Mario Bros 3 (.nes format). I have Morimoto's  
  
famous time-attack with me, but I can't play it because I don't have a  
  
japanese rom for SMB3. I own the cart version for the famicom, but I  
  
have no idea how to get a dump of that thing.  
  
2. Outlaw Star. A long time ago, I copied a bunch of Outlaw Star eps  
  
from a friend. The thing was, his cd writer was incredibly buggy and  
  
more than half the episodes were lost. I need those files! Speaking  
  
of episodes, I also want Catgirl Nuku-Nuku, Saber Marionettes, Slayers  
  
Next, Slayers Try, Wild Arms, Steel Angel Kurumi, Step Up Love Story  
  
etc. Even torrents will do! I have torrents of SAK, but there are  
  
never any seeds. ;_;  
  
3. Boku no Seinen 6. I already have it, but it came in these little  
  
itty-bitty files. I had a friend get me an actual copy (since I collect  
  
all of Saigado's work) but it'll be months before he can visit me and  
  
give me my book (past experience taught us that sending it over would  
  
not yield good results). Also, if there's a translation for the series  
  
somewhere, I want it. I can only read hiragana and katakana after all,  
  
and not very well at that. Sucks to be Asuka.  
  
4. Saigado's new work. I think it's Guilty Gear-based. Any news on  
  
that? Also, anything new by Mogudan, Studio Katsudon, Big Boss, or  
  
Frapper Spirits? Sabin's site is no more, and the forum I depended  
  
on for these things is gone. ;_;  
  
5. Handmaid Mai. What happened to that? Any more eps forthcoming? I  
  
really liked the dancing chibi-mais at the end! Also, if I could get  
  
the ending song on mp3 it would be great. I wanna make it the sound  
  
for a combo video I'm making.  
  
6. mp3s of the Handmaid Mai ending song, Steel Angel Kurumi opening  
  
song, Full Metal Panic opening song, and everything like it.  
  
7. Manga scans for Hanaukyo Maids. I actually already had these, but  
  
my computer lost them. Bleh.  
  
8. Good condition Cabal Therapy, Circular Logic, Skullclamp, Sulfurous  
  
Springs, Upheaval, Living Wish, Broodstar, Viridian Zealot, Polluted  
  
Delta, Exploration, Gaea's Cradle, Isochron Sceptre, Yavimaya Coast,  
  
Jackal Pup, Fireblast, Barbarian Ring, Wasteland, Diabolic Edict. This  
  
is just in case any of my readers live in the Philippines, in the  
  
Manila area, and play Magic: the Gathering. Email me if you exist and  
  
own these cards. I'm willing to buy or trade for them... at reasonable  
  
prices of course.  
  
9. The Queen of Hearts fighting game series. I have '98 and '01. Are  
  
there any more?  
  
10. One of those pc memory card thing-a-ma-jiggers for the PS2. I  
  
think it's called a card shark? Where in the Philippines can I get  
  
one of those?  
  
Well, that's it for the list. If you want a copy of any info I  
  
get on anything in there, ask me about it.  
  
Now, for more ranting. What is up with Kenshin fanfiction? I  
  
just got back from helping Chester with his fic and it was filled with  
  
all these strange, cryptic descriptions of stances. I mean, stances  
  
are cool and all, but do you really have to devote so much space for  
  
describing them? I mean, if your readers already know a stance, why  
  
describe it so much? You could just as easily have filled all that  
  
space up with character-bashing and fanservice!  
  
Chester says this is normal in RK fanfiction, and it's his  
  
visceral side that makes him write them. He says he's a visceral type  
  
of person. I had no idea what he was talking about, but I acted like I  
  
knew anyway. I have written one RK fic in my life, and that was a  
  
Kenshin/Misao lemon I wrote under my lemon-writing name. (As a side  
  
note, that lemon had waaay too much plot for my taste so if you read  
  
it and were not completely satisfied with the product, please accept  
  
my apologies. If you have no idea what my lemon-writing name is, I  
  
ain't telling)  
  
Don't get me wrong, though. Chester is a good friend and ATFWH  
  
would not be what it is today without him. The fact that I don't get  
  
his fics does not in any way imply that they're not good. I'm pretty  
  
sure they're all very good. ^_^ Seriously, check them out. You may find   
  
your inner fangirl.  
  
When I think of RK fanfics, I sorta get memories of my brief  
  
flirtation with Eva fanfics, where you either write exactly like  
  
everyone else and share their opinions or people send you death threats   
  
and tell you you're a sick, sick man for liking the Shinji/Rei pairing.  
  
Hanaukyo Maids la Verite. Is anyone else as excited as I am?  
  
Hanaukyo Maids is my favorite series of all time! You can listen to  
  
people drone on and on about the sexist themes, shallow plot, stupid  
  
characters, and all that other crap but at the end of the day Hanaukyo  
  
Maids is funnier than every other comedy anime out there except for  
  
Azumanga and Cromartie... and those two don't have any fanservice.  
  
Speaking of which, did anyone ever sub the newer episodes of  
  
Cromartie? Is there a manga? I have like eleven or so eps, then my  
  
source dried up. Bleh.  
  
Mahou Sensei Negima. Nodoka-chan is so cute! She's my favorite  
  
character. The series is fragmented and doesn't seem to have any  
  
direction, which is always a good sign. I'm hoping for more Nodoka  
  
stuff in the future.  
  
I also have this series in my hard drive: Mahoutsukai ni  
  
taisetsu na koto. I have twelve eps. Is this complete? I haven't seen  
  
the series yet. Is it any good? What's it like?  
  
I watched the final episode of the Bible Black series and was  
  
left a mere shell of the man I once was after viewing. Is that stuff  
  
sick or what?  
  
Soul Calibur 2. I know I told Black Dragon I was sick of this  
  
game, but my interest was renewed recently. Now my Talim is already  
  
pretty good thanks to watching match videos by XCTU and Kayane (who  
  
both rule all, by the way) but now I'm working on my Sophie, Cassie,  
  
Seung Mina and Taki skills.  
  
Sophie and Cassie are easy to play, thanks to their cheesy  
  
236B moves, and Seung Mina has that crazy 6A+K, 6BB combo, but Taki's  
  
possession cancels are really hard to do! Oh well, back to studying  
  
frame data for me. This isn't like MVC2 at all, where you just maximize   
  
your Cable skills and beat everyone else to a pulp. May all Nightmare  
  
players receive the thrashings they deserve.  
  
Now that we're on the topic of video games, isn't Malin of  
  
KOF '03 just the cutest? I mean, it's great that I can beat just about  
  
anyone with her uber-choiness and yo yo traps, but she's just so very,  
  
very cute! My current team (dedicated to annoying the hell out of my  
  
opponent) is Mai/Athena/Malin or King/Athena/Malin. Isn't Goro a little  
  
bit too strong, though? I used him once and racked up more than ten  
  
wins, despite almost never using him. Just walk up and mash on B and  
  
D, inserting a few running grabs here and there. Then, if the other  
  
guy switches with qcf C+B, do your counter super. May all Goro players  
  
receive the thrashings they deserve. For other cute characters, see  
  
May of Guilty Gear fame. She's Skuld in disguise, I tell you!  
  
I'm also back to playing Diablo 2: LOD (how could I stay away  
  
for long?) and I only learned of the Rogue hireling's secret lightning  
  
attack last week, making me feel like a total noob. Why on Earth did I  
  
ever settle for that Holy Freeze hireling before?  
  
Finally, I would like to thank Chester, Tom, Egan Mandreck,  
  
Zorknot, David Andersson, Beege, and Shade for all of the help they  
  
have given me on this chapter. Special thanks also go out to Udg,  
  
John Rasmussen, Robert Knighton, Kevin Wible, Tony, Laith, and Ian  
  
Hunter for showing interest in the fic enough to volunteer as  
  
pre-readers. In some cases, they never replied. In others, the  
  
chapter bounced back to me every time I tried to send it (cough  
  
coughJohnRasmussencoughcough). It's all good, though. I'm happy  
  
they were interested.  
  
Please send C&C to ukyo_rulz@edsamail.com.ph  
  
Visit my homepage (www.geocities.com/ex_fuk) for new chapters. 


	22. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: The characters in here are mine and I am making money off of this in the same way that Asuka's love belongs to Shinji and Keitaro made the right choice with Narusegawa.

Warning: No approved medicinal properties.

Warning: Altaverse (Keiichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is all messed up.)

"words"

'thoughts'

A Time for Wild Horses chapter 20 by Jose Argao

"...and then when we looked he'd already run off to score with the brown-haired girl."

Soun nodded thoughtfully at his daughter's account of what transpired during the night of Ranma's disappearance. He didn't really understand why Ms. Ninomiya and Ukyo's strange girl-man friend were also there, but no one else was questioning their presence and he did not want to risk sounding stupid by asking. He took a sip of the tea that Kasumi had thoughtfully served everyone while Akane was telling the story.

Soun cleared his throat before speaking. "So, Ranma regained consciousness and immediately ran off with the girl who used... an angel... to thwart the attack of the demon woman, who was actually Ukyo, before escaping with Ms. Urd, Ukyo, and the other demon woman who turned out to be a little girl."

Konatsu chose to answer that question himself. "Well, we're not actually a hundred percent sure that Ran--"

"That's exactly what happened." Akane slammed a fist onto the table to punctuate her point. "I'll bet he was planning it from the start! It's just like him to pull a stunt like this. He's always on the prowl for new girl to add to his list of conquests."

"Actually, now that we're on the topic, I'd like to hear more about these Sailor Senshi that my son has gotten himself engaged to." Nodoka beamed as she spoke, pride clearly visible on her face.  
"Are they pretty? They looked nice enough on television but I've never seen them in person. Do you suppose Ranma could introduce me to them when he gets back?"

"Oh, they looked really nice!" Hinako giggled as she pulled a glossy photo from her bag and handed it to Nodoka. "I thought they were delinquents at first, but they explained everything to me and now I understand that even though they fight evil, they don't really neglect their studies any more than they usually do. I got my picture taken with them and they signed it and everything too!"

An awkward silence followed, only to be broken by the sound of the telephone ringing. Kasumi picked it up immediately.

"Hello, this is the Tendo residence. Yes... yes... she's right here. It's for you, Nabiki-chan."

Kasumi handed the receiver to Nabiki, who merely listened to what the caller had to say for a few seconds before putting the phone down.

"That was Pluto-san, one of the senshi. She says that they have information about where Ranma is and that we should go over to Juuban tomorrow night to find out more."

"Everyone, attack her at the same time! One of us is bound to get through!"

Five Amazon warriors nodded at their leader and started to close in on Shampoo. There had originally been a dozen members in their group, but the rest had already been rendered unconscious by their opponent's swift and powerful attacks. The two fastest members of the squad reached their quarry first.

"Ugh."

Shampoo grunted as she deflected her first opponent's kick away from her body with practiced ease. She used her forearm to send the blow in the direction of her second opponent, who was trying to get behind the village's best warrior.

Silly girl. No one had ever been fast enough to get the drop on Shampoo.

The poor girl took the hit directly on her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Shampoo took advantage of the Amazon's stunned state by unleashing a flurry of lightning-fast punches all over the winded girl's torso. The speed at which Shampoo accomplished this was enough to render her first attacker paralyzed with awe, a state which was rapidly changed to one of unconsciousness after a kick from Shampoo hit her on the chin and finally knocked her out.

The purple-haired fighter's four remaining opponents stepped backwards, trying to figure out how to recover from losing two of their comrades. They communicated silently, using subtle changes in their body posture and quick movements of their eyes to converse. Within seconds, a plan was formed.

The four Amazon warriors fanned out as they dashed towards Shampoo, forming themselves into a perfectly formed arc designed to maximize area coverage without sacrificing the group's ability to join forces in the blink of an eye and gang up on Shampoo. Their opponent could neither escape nor engage them in smaller groups.

Shampoo rolled her eyes. The fools were actually using a containment strategy. As if she had any plans of running away. She smiled to herself as she ran to meet them in combat. The slaughter that ensued was a sight to behold.

Shampoo engaged the closest warrior to her left first,  
knocking the girl out with a kick to the chin. Two of the remaining fighters met the same fate as they made the mistake of taking their eyes off of Shampoo to see what had become of their companion. The leader, a rather large fighter who would not look out of place in a herd of oxen, managed to dodge at the last moment, avoiding a direct hit. The large warrior shook her head several times to clear it,  
picked up a spear that one of her squad members had dropped on the ground beneath her feet, and charged at Shampoo with violence in her eyes.

The purple-haired fighter sighed as she retrieved her bonbori from behind her. This was way too easy.

After the dust cleared, Shampoo stood unharmed and surrounded by the bodies of her fallen foes. The whole battle had taken less than half a minute, a new record even for her. All around Shampoo, the audience roared with applause. She smiled and waved her hands at them.

The tournament was over. Once again, Shampoo stood victorious.

"Mr. Customers! What you eat here?"

Shampoo spun around in an instant and was greeted by the sight of a pretty redhead wearing a tattered karate gi and eating her prize feast. A large panda, obviously the girl's pet, was also partaking of the food. Shampoo blinked her eyes several times and looked again. The girl and panda were still there, devouring the feast that she had earned by virtue of her victory. The smile on her face quickly evaporated. This was totally unacceptable. She lunged towards them towards the gluttonous duo and swung her weapons at them.

Surprisingly, both the girl and the panda were able to dodge her attack with ease. Shampoo turned towards the girl with an angry shout.

"You there! Woman and panda! Why you steal my prize?"

And then there was a lot of confused chatter between the girl and a man who apparently was her guide. Her Japanese wasn't very good,  
but Shampoo could tell the girl had no idea that she had been eating the prize for winning the tournament. Moreover, it seemed that she wanted to challenge Shampoo for the prize in order to gain ownership of the feast. That was certainly very strange.

Although strictly speaking, there was no rule barring outsiders from entering Amazon tournaments, no one ever did. The consequences of losing were far too great, and those of winning even more so. What was this girl thinking? Did she really think she could win? Shampoo was the best of her generation, undefeated in combat. She had learned to fight from Cologne herself. If a whole squad of Amazon fighters could not touch her, what hope could this girl possibly have of winning?

And then Shampoo was flying.

It was a strange experience for the young woman. All her previous defeats had come at the hands of one of the elders who had hundreds of years more experience in fighting than she did. This girl didn't look much older than she herself was. And yet she was fifty feet closer to the sky than she used to be with no idea how she got there.

The fall seemed to last forever, but eventually Shampoo's body met the ground with a loud crash. It hurt like hell, but Shampoo was smiling as she slowly got up and made her way towards the girl. For the first time in a long while, she was happy.

Finally, a worthy opponent! Someone who could help her improve!  
It was her chance to finally get to the next level. No more boring fights with other young amazons who had nothing new to show her. No more pointless battles with Great-Grandmother that ended before she could blink and taught her nothing. She would hunt this girl down to the ends of the Earth and kill her, learning every little trick the redheaded fighter knew in the process.

It took a small eternity to traverse the short distance between her and the girl. Shampoo could hardly wait to begin the chase! She raised her arms as she reached out towards the girl's face.  
Her lips moved closer and closer to the girl's cheek. The first touch of her lips upon the redhead's cheek sent a tingle down her spine.  
Somehow, she just knew that this was going to be the start of the greatest adventure of her life.

And then the girl changed.

Shampoo opened her eyes and recoiled from the sight that showed itself to her. Gone was the girl with red hair that she had fought mere minutes before. In her place was a strange woman wearing trashy clothing and prancing around in a series of movements that Shampoo could only describe as really bad dancing. The woman stopped after a bit and pointed a gloved finger at Shampoo.

"For love and justice I am the beautiful sailor-suited soldier Sailor Pluto! I shall punish you in the name of Pluto!"

Shampoo actually laughed out loud. That was easily the lamest thing she had ever heard anyone say. She stopped laughing when she realized that the woman had been gathering energy to attack her. By then, however, it was already too late.

"Dead Scream!"

"No!"

Shampoo sat up quickly on her bed and immediately regretted it. Her body was ached all over. Her lower lip was swollen, her ribs felt like a herd of oxen had trampled them, and her hair was puffed out and frizzy like a 70's afro.

"Ah, so you are finally awake. It took you long enough. I guess it's to be expected. Setsuna is nothing to sneeze at, after all."

Shampoo raised both of her hands to massage her temples for a second as she closed her eyes to blot out the bright, painful light.  
The last thing she could remember was using Cologne's powder to defeat Lilith. After that there was something about a strange woman shouting gibberish... it was all so confusing. In any case, she was no longer in any apparent danger. Her great-grandmother had presumably picked her up from the battlefield and brought her-- where was she anyway?

Her bed seemed like a perfectly normal bunk bed, but the room she was in was unlike any other place she had been to. It seemed to be a small, cramped room with steel walls and no windows. The blinding light was coming from a large light bulb hanging from the ceiling. There was what looked like a closed set of elevator doors near one of the corners, and an air vent on the ceiling above it. Her great-grandmother was on the other side of the room from her, looking at the monitor of a computer placed on top of a small table. The old woman regarded her with an inscrutable look.

"You are at the Nekohanten, my dear. Well, several meters beneath the Nekohanten anyway. You've been unconscious for three days.  
I told you not to make contact with the senshi, did I not? This is the result of your disobedience."

Shampoo frowned at Cologne's remark and got up from the bed.  
Although it was true that she had disobeyed the orders given to her,  
she felt that the circumstances were more than enough justification for her actions.

"Shampoo only fight because Airen was in danger. Shampoo almost win, but strange dancing lady used dirty trick to beat Shampoo."

Cologne shook her head slowly. "You are young and foolish,  
child. You only managed to get as far as you did because the senshi haven't been able to utilize their power fully yet. Had they been in top form, you may well have died back there."

Shampoo pouted. She was the best fighter of her generation among the Amazons. She was not used to being told that she wasn't strong enough.

"Senshi are slow and weak. Is easy to beat them. They not even as good as annoying spatula girl."

Cologne shrugged. "Perhaps for now, but they haven't even gotten to half of their potential power. You, on the other hand, are already pushing your limits. Do not forget that you were defeated with but a single direct hit. They outclass you in sheer power. In a few years, you will not even be able to fight them on equal footing."

Shampoo remained silent for a moment. She was aware of the fact that her great-grandmother was right. The Sailor Senshi had fought sluggishly and ineffectively, but their attacks were powerful. The last moments of her recent battle had shown her that one hit was all it took to take her down. Given proper training, those girls might grow to be formidable opponents indeed. They might even turn out to be as strong as Ranma himself. Speaking of which....

"Where is Ranma, Great-Grandmother?"

Shampoo's mentor looked thoughtful for a bit before answering,  
as though the old woman wasn't sure exactly how to word her reply.

"Right now, nobody knows where Ranma is."

Shampoo's eyes narrowed in anger after hearing the elder's reply.

"Silly dancing woman steal Airen?"

Cologne shook her head. "No, that's not it. After you were knocked out, the remaining combatants continued their battle at Juuban High School. The television coverage showed the senshi battling Ranma and three other women. One of them was the succubus you fought at the senshi's apartment. She was with another, older succubus who appeared to be her ally. The third woman matched the description you gave me of the silver-haired lady you saw coming out of Ranma's apartment.

"Two of the Tendo girls and the Hibiki boy also joined the fight near the end. I'm not sure if I saw correctly, but there was also a young girl there who looked like Ranma's energy-draining teacher. The battle abruptly concluded when a woman I didn't recognize appeared and took the two succubae and the woman with silver hair away. Mousse arrived in a car with some other woman I've never seen before and everyone started arguing. I couldn't tell what they were arguing about... the television crews couldn't get any sound. When the camera went back to where Ranma used to be, he was gone."

Shampoo immediately grabbed Cologne by the shoulders, becoming only the fifth person to ever do so and live to tell the tale.

"Ranma kidnapped?! We need find Airen!"

Cologne stroked her granddaughter's hair. "Do not worry, child.  
All is not lost. We may not know where son-in-law is right now, but we know he's not with the senshi. As long as he avoids contact with them, we can still deal with the situation. Now come with me."

At that, Cologne hopped towards the closed elevator doors and punched a few buttons on a nearby control panel. The doors slid open and she hopped in. Shampoo slowly followed Cologne inside. The doors closed in front of them and Shampoo felt herself moving lower. She turned to her great-grandmother to ask a question.

"Where we going, Great-Grandmother?"

Cologne remained gazing towards the doors as she answered.

"I shall explain fully after you have seen for yourself,  
child. Trying to tell you now would take too long, and time is a luxury we have very little of at the moment. Doubtless, the senshi are making their own efforts to track Son-in-Law down even as I speak."

"Everyone get over here! I've found him!"

Usagi, Rei, Makoto, Ami, Rose and Mousse all started running towards the Shrine's storage room, where Minako had finally found the man they had spent the better part of the morning searching for.

Minako shook her head and giggled as she grabbed Ryoga by his shirt and pulled him out of a box containing old Christmas lights.

"Ryoga, what on Earth are you doing in there? We've been looking all over for you! You said last night that you were just going out for a walk."

Ryoga opened his eyes a crack and saw a beautiful young woman looking worriedly at him. The last thing he could remember was going out for a walk and getting lost along the way back. He also remembered something about falling into an old box filled with light bulbs and not being able to find his way out without breaking it open. Seeing as the box was owned by one of Mako-chan's friends, he decided to just stay there until he was found. Then he went to sleep.

That meant that he was probably still asleep.

Which meant that he was probably dreaming.

About a beautiful young woman, no less.

If there was one thing you could say about Ryoga, it was that he never looked a gift horse in the mouth. Whether it came from an old Amazon crone teaching him a new technique to beat Ranma, or Akane's fondness for cute little pigs allowing him to stay in close proximity to her chest area, Ryoga took his happiness where he could find it.

Quickly, before he could wake up and ruin things, Ryoga decided that now was a very good time to reach out and touch someone. He was instantly rewarded by that nice, euphoric feeling that all boys his age get when put in such a pleasurable situation. If past dreams were anything to go by, the girl would start moaning in pleasure any minute now.

The girl screamed. Then she started slapping him. The slaps didn't really hurt, but the fact that the girl wasn't writhing in the throes of passion hinted at the possibility that maybe he wasn't dreaming at all. Actually, now that his eyes were fully open he was able to recognize the girl as Minako, one of Mako-chan's friends.

This was not good.

Ryoga was just about to take his hands off the girl when he was interrupted by the voice of someone he did not really want to hear at the moment.

"Sempai, just what do you think you're doing?"

Ryoga turned his gaze sideways and locked eyes with Makoto,  
who was surrounded by the rest of her friends. Rose was standing a little bit behind the group, and Mousse was right behind her.

"Um... Mako-chan... It's not what it looks like.... I normally only do this sort of thing in my dreams."

The expressions of outrage that Ryoga got as a response made his blood run cold. He wondered if this was payback for all those times he'd gotten Ranma in trouble with Akane.

Makoto pointed towards him and spoke in a low, menacing voice. "Sempai... your hand...."

Ryoga cursed himself when he realized that he had forgotten to let go of Minako's considerable frontal endowments.

Ryoga would later look back on this incident and decide that it was probably a bad move on his part to have continued groping Minako like he did. For now, however, the pain and suffering he was feeling at the hands of the girls was distracting him from coherent thought.

Rose watched the spectacle from the doorway and turned her gaze away in disgust. After having a good look at Mousse's face, she turned it away in disgust again.

They were supposed to be looking for Ranma, not playing around.  
She had been getting conflicting accounts of what Ranma was really like, but if only half of them were true then he was a force of evil unlike any she had ever seen before. If he were to join forces with someone like Bison, who knew what would become of the world?

Then again, if the other half of what she'd heard about him was true then he was actually a nice, attractive young guy whose only threat to the world at large was that he just might engage himself to its entire female population, herself included.

Still, she couldn't take any chances. Ranma's disappearance worried her. The Tendo girl seemed convinced that he'd run off after the woman who'd appeared from the sky... but what if he wasn't just running off to get some? What if he was kidnapped?

Rose idly wondered if the older senshi were getting any closer to finding Ranma than they were.

"Well, what's happening? Are they going to change their clothes yet? The best time to collect pretties is while the owner is changing, you know. They aren't wearing much, so they won't be able to go after you even if they do catch you in the act, which they probably won't because they're busy changing! Let me tell you about this one time I managed to sneak into Furinkan High's changing rooms while the girl's basketball team was changing. It was like paradise...."

Mamoru tried to ignore his new partner's incessant talk of his adventures in panty-thieving. Somehow, the old goat had gotten it into his mind that he was interested in that kind of thing, which of course he was not. No, Endymion was only interested in women, not the clothes they wore.

For all his faults, though, the old man was certainly very useful. Why, this session of senshi surveillance wouldn't even be possible if it wasn't for the handy magical artifact that Happosai had given him. It was a convenient seashell that you could use to hear what was happening someplace else rather then the usual roar of the sea.

Happosai was also a force to be reckoned with. Despite his looks, Mamoru could still remember being soundly thrashed by his new ally during their first encounter.

But still, what an idiot the old geezer was! Imagine,  
accepting a deal where the only thing the wrinkled gnome got was the lingerie, rather then the girls who wore it!

Mamoru nodded as he listened to his seashell some more. "It sounds like they've finally found that Ryoga person that they were looking for. They've started beating him up, though. I'm not sure why exactly. I'll listen some more and tell you if I learn anything."

Happosai tried to ignore his new partner's incessant talk of the goings-on at the shrine where Sailor Mars was said to reside. For some reason, the young fool had gotten it into his mind that he was interested in that kind of thing. The great Happosai cared only for pretties, not the daily lives of the women who wore them.

For all his faults, though, Mamoru was certainly very useful.  
Why, this session of senshi surveillance wouldn't even be possible if it wasn't for his willingness to hold that magical seashell which was the size and weight of a small anvil against his ear for long periods of time.

Mamoru also seemed to know a lot about the Sailor Senshi.  
Happosai could never figure out how the young man was able to know so much about the girls, but all evidence pointed to his information being accurate.

Still, useful as he was, Mamoru was an idiot to have agreed to the deal where he himself would get all of the senshi's underthings while Mamoru would keep the girls themselves. Happosai's long life had taught him that no matter how beautiful a girl might seem to be, she would inevitably grow old and wither away, or at least shrink to the size of a watermelon and start hopping around on a cane. A properly cared for pair of panties, however, could last for years and years and lose none of its appeal. It didn't get jealous of the other panties or anything to boot. It never nagged you about commitment or asked awkward questions about why you were wearing women's underwear on your head.

"Wow, that is so cute!"

Setsuna giggled to herself as she watched Ranma getting married to herself in an alternate timeline. He had gotten into college on an athletic scholarship, and she was the student assigned to tutor him on his academics and make sure that he would remain eligible to play for their university's baseball and football teams. One thing led to another and two years later there they were, reciting their marriage vows in front of a priest.

"Well, let's move on to the next one!"

Setsuna happily sifted through the millions of alternate lines of fate looking for another one where she ended up living happily ever after with Ranma. Trying to manipulate them was out of the question,  
since they had grown far too complex for any direct action on her part to have predictable results, but she was still easily able to follow each one along and see how it turned out.

"Hey, it's Crystal Tokyo! Cool!"

Setsuna grinned as she looked through the timeline currently on display. It was Crystal Tokyo, alright, the future that until a few days ago was virtually assured to be the fate of mankind. A lot had happened since that time. This was only the fiftieth time she had glimpsed it so far, and she had gone through quite a few possibilities already.

The senshi of Pluto could remember a time, not too long ago,  
when the current state of the timelines would have been unacceptable to her. There were currently millions of possible futures looming ahead of her own line, and less than an eighth of those now featured Crystal Tokyo. Setsuna found herself becoming overcome with worry when she realized that the thing she had worked so hard to protect was slipping away, and there was nothing she could do about it.

She forgot all about her worry upon glancing at another possible future, though. In this one she was a pop star and Ranma was one of her backup dancers. Naturally, she ended up marrying him. They looked so cute together. It made sense, really, since they looked cute on their own as well. Obviously they could only get cuter when in close proximity to each other. It was like their respective powers of cute had the ability to combine into a towering mountain of kawaii the likes of which had never been seen before and likely would never be seen again. Setsuna knew this for a fact, because she was the senshi of time and had the ability to check.

"Personally I think the one where Ranma's a country boy come to Tokyo to attend a yubikou and you're his personal computer android is just a little bit cuter, if a bit unoriginal."

Sailor Pluto immediately turned around and pointed her staff at the intruder. "Who are you?"

Setsuna's visitor chuckled at the senshi's surprise. She shook her head at the state the Time Staff's owner had fallen to.

"My name is Freya, and I'm here to help you. Before I can start, though, you need to take one of these pills...."

"I'm sorry, okay? I should have listened to what you said, but how could I possibly have known that the dream was an omen? I thought it was just hormones! Hotaru-chan, please talk to me."

Hotaru remained silently seated on the sofa, the video of what had happened just a few nights ago repeatedly playing on the television set in front of her . She knew it was unfair of her to blame Haruka for what happened, but she was still angry at her guardian for ignoring the dream that had warned her of the danger Ranma was in.

Having no luck with Hotaru, Haruka went up to the room she shared with Michiru, where her lover was trying to use the Aqua Mirror to find Ranma.

"Any luck?"

Michiru put the Aqua Mirror down and shook her head. "No,  
nothing. The Mirror isn't meant to be used for this kind of thing in the first place, so it's very difficult. It would be better if we had Setsuna working on this as well... but...."

Haruka sighed. "I know what you mean. What's wrong with her these days? She hasn't been helping with the Ranma thing at all, she's been spending almost all of her time playing games, she's tried to seduce you twice--"

"Three times," Michiru corrected Haruka. "She tried again this morning."

Haruka shrugged. "Okay, three times, whatever. She got herself a one year subscription to Shonen Jump, she bursts into tears for no reason when I try talking to her... I don't know what to do with her anymore. Last night I caught her watching pro-wrestling on television.  
There's something wrong with her. It's like she's sick or something."

Michiru shook her head. "That's impossible. Setsuna can't get sick. She isn't built that way. And she's not as bad as you make her out to be. She did teach me how to use the Aqua Mirror to look for Ranma, after all."

Haruka slammed her fist on a nearby table. "That's another thing that bothers me! Why does she know how to do that and you don't?  
What else does she know that she's not telling us? And if she's so interested in helping Hotaru find Ranma why doesn't she do something herself? Where is she anyway?"

It was Michiru's turn to shrug. "I have no idea. She was trying to get me to play with her this morning when she suddenly stopped and ran off."

Haruka was taken aback at this new development. "You mean she went away before you could say no?"

Michiru grinned. "Who says I was going to say no?"

Haruka rolled her eyes. "You're as crazy as she is. I'm taking a shower to cool off."

Michiru's grin went away the moment Haruka disappeared into the bathroom. She didn't want to let it show, but she was just as worried about Setsuna as Haruka was. It was so frustrating to know something was wrong with a close friend and that there was nothing you could do about it. Whatever it was, she just wished Setsuna would be able to get through it soon.

"Did anyone get the license plate on that bug?"

Skuld groggily sat up on her bed and yawned, stretching her arms above her as she did so. She had barely gotten her mouth open when the young goddess found herself wrapped in the arms of her elder sister Belldandy.

"Skuld, you're awake! Thank goodness! I was so worried."

Skuld frowned. Belldandy was worried about her? That couldn't be true. She made it a point never to have Belldandy worried about her.  
It was possible for Belldandy to be worried about someone like Urd, but she herself had dedicated her life to ensuring that Belldandy would not have to burden herself with anxiety over her younger sister.

"Hey, I do not burden Belldandy with anxiety!"

Skuld turned her head to face the other way and found Urd sitting near the other side of the bed, arms crossed in front of her chest. She hated times like this, when Urd seemed to be able to read her mind. She chuckled in what she hoped was a nonchalant way before replying.

"What are you talking about, Onee-chan? I didn't say that."

Urd glared at her younger sibling. "You were thinking it."

Electricity crackled between the eyes of the two sisters,  
forcing Belldandy to intervene before matters degenerated further.  
She placed a hand on Skuld's shoulder and pulled the younger goddess back. "Please don't fight. This isn't the time for it. We should be more concerned with Skuld's condition."

Upon hearing Belldandy's words, Urd immediately softened her gaze. She nodded slowly as she spoke. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm sorry about what I said, Skuld."

Skuld blinked in confusion at Urd's abrupt change in demeanor.  
What was going on here? It actually seemed as if Urd was really worried about her. Belldandy seemed to be the same way. Not knowing what else to do, Skuld gave Belldandy a hug as she tried to relieve her sister's anxiety.

"Um... Oneesama, I feel fine. Actually, I feel great! There's no need to worry about me. Right now, I'm more worried about Ukyo-san.  
We went to Jusenkyo together. Is she okay?"

Belldandy released Skuld from her hug and shook her head sadly at Skuld's comments. "Ukyo-san is in good health. She should be joining us here shortly. More importantly, Skuld-chan, summon your angel."

Now Skuld was worried. Were the springs poisonous to angels?  
Was Noble Scarlet sick? That couldn't be. She felt great. If something was wrong with Noble Scarlet it would surely affect her as well. She raised her right hand into the air and started calling for her angel.

"Noble Scarlet, come forth!"

Skuld felt the familiar rush of euphoria that always came when she called for her angel. She closed her eyes and savored the feeling for a few moments. Now she was sure Noble Scarlet was fine. She would have felt it if something was wrong.

The sight that greeted Skuld when she finished shocked the young goddess to the core of her being. Her lips trembled as she said the only word that came to mind.

"No...."

Setsuna caught the small bag that the woman threw her way and opened it. The bag was full of small, pink pills. She popped one into her mouth and chewed. It actually tasted pretty good. It had a minty,  
fruity sort of taste and it went down her throat smoothly even though she didn't drink any-- WHY ON EARTH WAS SHE SWALLOWING A PILL GIVEN TO HER BY SOMEONE SHE HAD NEVER MET BEFORE?

Setsuna's eyes focused on the newcomer as she raised the Time Staff and pointed it at the woman. "What is your purpose for being here? Answer me quickly or face my wrath."

Odin's most trusted assistant frowned. She didn't need to put up with this. "My, such hostility! Is that any way to treat a guest?"

With a flick of her wrist, Freya sent a bolt of energy towards Setsuna that knocked the Time Staff clear across the room. The Senshi of Time attempted to dash towards where it had fallen, but she found herself completely unable to move. A cursory examination of herself revealed that bands of energy were now wrapped around her body, doing a very good job of immobilizing her. Setsuna glared at her opponent.

Freya shook her head and sighed. "I think, my dear, that you are currently in no position to be making demands. From this point on,  
I will do the talking and you will merely listen. Do you understand?"

Taking the silence as her cue to start talking, Freya began to speak once more. "My name is Freya, and I am a Goddess. I am here acting as a representative of Asgard. We know of your interest in the man called Ranma Saotome, and we would like to help you resolve this rather unfortunate situation that you were thrust into."

Sailor Pluto stopped trying to break free at this point,  
realizing that the energy bands were not going to break anytime soon and that she was simply tiring herself out. The bands immediately dissipated afterward and she fell to the floor, having lost her balance.

Freya chuckled lightly at Setsuna. "I see you've finally stopped struggling. Useful things, those bands. They reflect any force directed at them. They get stronger the more you try to break them,  
but they go away when you stop trying to break free. Anyway, as you've surely noticed by now, I am not here to fight. I am here to help. With my assistance, you and your friends will be able to resolve this crisis in a fashion satisfactory to all parties, Asgard included."

Setsuna raised an eyebrow at this new development. "Help? And how do you propose to do that?"

The blonde-haired goddess smiled. "I'd rather explain in front of your whole team, if you don't mind. I will meet you at the shrine where the one called Rei resides tomorrow night. Make sure that all the senshi are there, as well as any other individuals whom you might want to have assisting you. In the meantime, don't forget to take one of those pills every six hours. They'll keep your thoughts from growing chaotic in response to the changes happening to the timelines."

At that, the goddess Freya disappeared from the dimensional pocket containing the Time Gates with a bright flash of light.

"Ugh."

Ukyo opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling above her. It was white. Completely white, in fact. No dark specks or lines where the painter wasn't careful. No visible dust to speak of. Just white. For a moment, the okonomiyaki chef wondered how much it would cost to get ceilings like that installed at the Ucchan's. The thought died rather quickly, though, when she realized that she had no idea where she was or how she got there.

"Good evening, Kuonji-san. I hope you are feeling better.  
You have been unconscious for the past few days. Would you like some water to drink?"

Ranma's childhood friend turned towards the source of the voice and saw a man she didn't recognize holding a glass of water out towards her. He was a bit strange. Physically, he looked like he was still pretty young, but there was an unmistakable aura of maturity about him that sent shivers down her spine whenever she tried to look directly at him. He was also wearing strange clothing and a red cape that looked like it came straight out of a medieval-themed anime.

Ukyo accepted the glass and drank deeply. She decided that her mind was playing tricks on her. The man was probably a doctor or something. Maybe he was going to a cosplay party later. She must have hit her head when she fell into the spring.

'Oh god, the spring!'

The worried okonomiyaki chef quickly looked at herself under her blanket and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw the same body she had always possessed. Apparently, she had lucked out and fallen into a spring that wasn't cursed.

Ukyo smiled prettily at the man before speaking. "Yes, I feel fine. Are you my doctor?"

The man chuckled. "No, I'm afraid I am not a doctor at all.  
I need to speak to you, however. It's about your new job. I'll need to brief you on your first assignment as our newest employee. There are other things as well...."

The owner of Nerima's most successful okonomiyaki restaurant raised an eyebrow at his words. "I'm sorry, but I already have a job.  
I'm an--"

The caped man cut her off with a wave of his hands. "Yes,  
I know. You are an okonomiyaki chef. You own a restaurant and you did not apply for a job here. However, because of circumstances beyond our control, you have already been 'hired', so to speak."

Ukyo shook her head vigorously. "What are you talking about?  
How can I get a job I didn't apply for?"

The man quickly grabbed her by the wrist and stopped her from moving.

"Please refrain from making any sudden movements. You might spill your water and we wouldn't want to activate your curse."

Ukyo slowly placed her glass on top of a nightstand. "My.  
curse?"

The man replied quickly. "Yes, your curse. If you would please follow me, I will explain everything when we get to the multimedia presentation room. I have slides made up and everything."

Ukyo grabbed at the man before he could turn away. "Wait a minute! I have a curse? Why do I have to follow you? Can't you just tell me about my curse right here?"

The man shook his head. "Well, Skuld needs to hear this too.  
She has the same curse, after all. She should have awakened at the same time you did. I have a lot to say to both of you and I'd rather not have to do it twice. Besides, that room cost a bundle to construct, and I'll be damned if we're not going to use it."

The confused chef watched as the man turned and started walking away. She was about to get up and follow him when she realized something important.

"Wait a minute! I'm naked!"

The man stopped walking and answered without turning back towards Ukyo. "Oh, right. This should suffice, I think."

Suddenly, Ukyo found herself bathed in a light so bright she had to close her eyes. When she opened them again, she was already clothed in a beautiful white dress that hugged all her curves and flowed all the way to the ground. Not really her thing, but better than nothing. She looked at the strange man once again. He was already walking away.

"Just who are you anyway?"

The man turned back towards her and smiled. "My name is Odin.  
I am the leader of the gods."

"Good afternoon, Father. Welcome back. I am Sister Maria. I have been expecting you. Please follow me."

Father Andersen smiled at the nun that greeted him at the church's door. She handed him a folder containing a large amount of papers, which he took. The two of them remained silent as they made their way across the public hallways of the large cathedral. As soon as they reached the restricted areas, however, the nun began talking.

"I shall now brief you on what we currently know, so please turn to the contents of your folder."

The tall priest opened the folder he had been given and started reading. The nun continued to speak.

"As you are no doubt aware of, Father, a large energy spike was detected earlier indicating that the entity known as Morrigan Aensland has reappeared after many years of dormancy. Needless to say,  
something must be done to address this new development."

Father Andersen quickly skimmed through the first few pages.  
They contained basic information about Morrigan that he already knew.  
The next few sheets, however, were new to him. They contained pictures of what appeared to be a great battle.

Sister Maria ducked into a small hallway as she spoke, Father Andersen following closely. "Those pictures are screen captures from news coverage of an encounter between Morrigan and a Japan-based vigilante group composed of young girls wearing colorful and revealing attire. Several high-level fighters from the nearby areas were also spotted participating in the confrontation."

Father Andersen nodded thoughtfully as he squinted at the pictures to get a better look. He had previously heard of the magical girls of Japan, but this was his first opportunity to see them. He doubted that the teenaged females were of any use in hand to hand combat, but apparently they were powerful enough to stand against the Makai realm's finest anyway.

The nun smiled as she slowly came to a stop and gestured towards a large, ornately carved door. "You are to go inside for the rest of your briefing, Father. The others are already inside.  
Good luck on your mission. I shall pray for your success."

Father Andersen smiled and thanked Sister Maria as he opened the door. Apparently, the matter would be handled by a team instead of just an individual. He was curious as to who he would be working with for the next mission.

He nearly gagged at the sight that greeted him on the other side of the door.

With a speed that belied his large frame, Father Andersen retrieved a large blade from inside his robes and lunged towards the man sitting on a chair in the middle of the room with a loud shout.

"Ramza Beoulve, prepare to die!"

Skuld stared in shock at her angel, unable to understand why half of Noble Scarlet's hair had changed into a jet-black color and her body was now covered with the dark tattoos that were common among mixed breed angels.

"What happened to her?"

Urd sighed. "I'm sorry, but you contracted a Jusenkyo curse that turned you into a half-demon entity and now your angel reflects that."

The young goddess frowned. "You mean I'm cursed? What kind of curse? Jusenkyo?!"

A slow nod was all Skuld received in reply.

The young goddess glared at her eldest sister. "How can that be? How can a goddess be cursed? That's not possible! I'm a debugger and debuggers are immune to bug infestation!"

Urd mumbled something unintelligible.

Skuld pointed an accusing finger at Urd. "You wouldn't happen to have anything to do with this, would you?"

Urd simply grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of her head.

Skuld started shouting. "I don't believe this! How could you!  
I need to get rid of it. I need to get cured of this curse as soon as possible!"

The young goddess turned towards Belldandy. "Oneesama, you've got to do something about this!"

Belldandy shook her head apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Skuld.  
I really am. If the problem was based on actual code or a virus, I could fix it. But your curse is magical in nature. It's impossible to predict what would happen if an attempt to remove it was made."

Skuld's face darkened as she turned towards Urd once more. "Oh,  
this is all your fault! What am I supposed to do now? I don't want to be a half-demon!"

Before Belldandy could answer, a rather loud beeping sound started to ring throughout the room. Belldandy and Urd both reached into their robes and retrieved their cell phones, but only Belldandy raised hers to her ear and answered it. She listened to the voice on the other end for a few moments before lowering her phone and locking the keypad.

"I'm sorry, Skuld, but we're going to have to discuss this later. We are being called to the Multimedia Room."

All three goddesses immediately stood up and started making their way out of the room, Skuld complaining about having the curse and still being made to work the whole way.

Ranma awoke to a wet, ticklish feeling on his left ear. Judging by the sensations alone, he appeared to be lying on an extremely soft and comfortable bed. There was an unknown female lying beside him, one of her arms draped across his body. She was apparently busy nibbling on his ear. The young martial-artist kept absolutely still and refrained from opening his eyes, years of experience teaching him that when the going was good it was best to just keep doing what you were currently engaged in and not rock the boat.

"You were amazing, Ranma. Absolutely the best I've ever had.  
I hope you aren't planning on keeping this as a one-time thing because I plan to be repeating that performance many, many times in the future.  
My husband doesn't even compare."

That got the young man's eyes open in a hurry. He hurriedly looked down and got the shock of his life when he realized just who it was that had herself wrapped around him.

"A... Akari?"

The pretty owner of Japan's largest sumo-wrestling stable looked up at him and smiled prettily, playing with the ruffles on the frilly lingerie she wore. A flood of pleasant memories came to Ranma,  
reminding him of how they had spent the previous night engaged in activities so pleasurable they were illegal in several countries.

"Yes, Ranma? Do you want to go another round? Ryoga isn't supposed to be home for another two days at least and I don't have anything else to do... or rather... I don't have anyone else to do."

Akari chuckled lightly. All the color drained from Ranma's face. As unlikely as it would seem, his stellar performance the night before had apparently fried the pretty woman's brain cells, robbing her of the ability to think clearly.

The seemingly deranged female frowned and touched her forehead to Ranma's own. "You're looking kind of pale, darling. Are you sick?  
You don't feel hot to me, though. At least, not any hotter than usual."

Ranma rolled his eyes. It would appear that Ryoga's wife managed to retain her affinity for bad puns, if nothing else.

"Honey, I'm home!"

Ranma raised his eyebrows at his companion, who started giggling with excitement.

"I can't believe it. Ryoga's home! To think he'd find his way back here so soon, it's positively unbelievable! And right when you're with me, too. The odds must be one in a billion! Oh, this is just so exciting!"

Ranma started moving to get out of bed when he realized that all of his limbs were firmly handcuffed to the bedposts. Akari giggled again.

"Oh, you're not getting away that easily. Those handcuffs are special made to withstand Ryoga-kun, so you're not going to be leaving anytime soon. Can you just imagine what his reaction will be when he sees us?"

Unfortunately for the immobilized playboy, he was perfectly able to imagine what Ryoga's most probable reaction would be and he wasn't finding it to be very exciting at all. Akari wasn't helping things at all, the way she decided that positioning herself in the most incriminating way possible when her husband finally walked through the door would be a good idea.

"Wow, to think I'd find my way home so soon. The odds must be astronomical. I tell you, Honey, it's lo--"

Ranma saw Ryoga pause in the middle of opening the door to the bedroom. The directionally-challenged fighter's face went from bewilderment to shock to sadness to anger and finally settled on blind rage in the space of a few moments.

Ranma gulped.

"No!"

Ranma opened his eyes and sat up, burying his head into a soft valley of comfort that he was far more familiar with than a boy his age had any right to be. It felt nice.

"Gee, you don't waste any time do ya?"

Nerima's most eligible bachelor managed to have the presence of mind to grab the unknown girl by the shoulders and push himself away from her. All thoughts of his nightmare left him when he realized who he had just inadvertently groped. Ranma almost couldn't believe his eyes as he spoke her name.

"Natsume?"

Author's Rant

I would like to thank Chester, Shade, Beege, Michael Myers,  
Gordon, Helmut Steeg and David for all the help they gave me for this chapter.

Griever was supposed to be a prereader for this chapter, but I sent it to him a million times and it bounced a million times right back.

Before anything else, let's get the reasons for the delay in this chapter's release out so y'all aren't wondering anymore.

First of all, I started work on my masteral thesis, which is kicking my ass. My topic is about Bayesian Network Models of students and I've been having all sorts of trouble with it. If you have an easy way of implementing Bayesian Networks, please tell me about it before my head explodes.

Another thing is the fact that I've been reading a lot more manga and watching a lot more anime recently. Naruto may be embarking on yet another sucktacular flashback about the ever-annoying Kakashi,  
but Ichigo 100 is still going strong. I know I'm setting myself up for a colossal disappointment, but I still hope that Manaka manages to end up with Tsukasa or Satsuki.

Futari H is still funny as heck, Bleach is getting cooler with every new chapter, Negima is still good, and a whole lot of other titles are distracting me from writing as well. Eyeshield 21, Parallel,  
Tende Freeze, and many other mangas are also good.

Airgear sucks, but I already read the first few chapters so I might as well wait and see if it becomes as good as Bleach. Right now it kinda reminds me of Tenjou Tenge, which is probably the title that I dislike the most. I dunno why I hate it so much, since it has humor and action with lots of pretty girls.

A friend told me that the reason lies in my affinity for hardworking Lee-types. He tells me that I harbor a great disdain for the idea of raw talent defeating hard work, which is a central theme in Tenjou Tenge. I say it's because I hate each and every single character in the series. My sister says it's a combination of both.

As for anime, I've been watching Samurai Champloo (much, much better than RK) and Samurai 7 (mildly interesting). I saw Bakuretsu Tenshi, which started out great but then got cheesier and cheesier as the creator flip-flopped between wanting to rip off Evangelion,  
Xenogears, Bubblegum Crisis and Love Hina. The cheese culminated in a resort ep where the female characters grew breasts the size of mountains.

You know you're overdoing it when Jose Argao complains about big boobs.

The episodes after that were much better, but they never managed to get back to the perfection of the first few eps. I've also been watching the Saber Marionette series, Final Approach, Naruto,  
and a bunch of other titles. As expected, none of them even come close to the utter perfection that is the Hanaukyo Maids series.

Other anime fans will go on and on about trash like Akira and Princess Mononoke. They will engage you in lengthy discussions about the wonderful stick figures in the Evangelion movies. They will talk for hours about the beauty of Bible Black (seriously, this happened to me) and the greatness of Serial Experiments Lain. Their eyes will light up as they tell you that HxH or Dragonball is the best thing since sliced bread. They will break down RK sword stances and Naruto hand seals like it's 1999.

Me, I like Hanaukyo Maids.

See, I want my anime simple and humorous, with lots of pretty girls and a minimum of thinking required. If I want to wrap my mind around something, I'll read some Dan Brown. When I watch anime and read manga I want my brain to take a break. I want to laugh. Most of all, I want lots of fanservice.

The last thing I want to be doing when I watch anime is pondering the meaning of life.

I'm going to stop talking about HM now, because if I don't this will turn into a 150K exposition on the perfection inherent in such a brilliant concept. Hanaukyo Maids is a masterpiece. I watched Akira and Ghost in the Shell and thought they both sucked. Princess Mononoke put me to sleep. Spirited Away bored me to tears. Let's leave it at that.

Where was I? Oh yeah, the reasons for this late release. Well,  
I've been also been writing articles for Magic: The Gathering. I may not get as much fan mail for my articles as compared to my fics, but I win store credit and the allure of free cards is hard to resist. I write casual articles mostly, they can be found at under the name, Ukyo.

I prolly won't be writing much in the near future, though.  
There's not much to say except that Affinity is basically unbeatable unless you dedicate your whole deck to killing it, at which point you lose to every non-Affinity deck. Any player who thinks B/G or U/G can consistently beat Affinity is deluded, playing against weak Affinity players, or just really stupid.

Affinity is invincible. It's the most powerful aggro deck ever created in the history of Magic. It's like Sligh, but faster and more resilient to hate. A good Affinity player with an updated list has zero bad matchups. Get over it.

Another reason this chapter is late is the fact that I've been honing my skills in the great PS2 game, Narutimate Hero 2. Soul Calibur 2 and MVC2 all bore me right now. King of Fighters '03 is an annoying exercise in learning to play Goro, Duolon, and another character. It's so unbalanced I've watched tournaments where literally every single participant played Duolon, Goro and another character. Soul Calibur is boring when you know frame data and your opponents don't. MVC2? It's all about the snapback kills. I don't want anything to do with that.  
Right now I'm all about shuriken cancels, backstep cancels, item super cancels and using Might-Suit Naruto to kick ass.

Eminem also released his new album. Not much to say here except the guy's a freaking genius. I really like it when he raps gibberish or nonsense. It's really funny.

I've also seen Lindsay Lohan's new video. Is it just me or does she look significantly hotter in there? I normally could care less about her but when I saw the video I was so stunned by her looks that I never even noticed that the song was horrible.

Have you ever noticed that in mIRC, the ops are really hard on newbies? A lot of them strike me as arrogant bastards who have nothing better to do with their sorry lives than provoke noobs into breaking rules so that they can ban the sorry suckers. I see a whole lot of this:

#RandomAnimeChannel

noob1: I am looking for RandomTitle chapters/episodes. I'm new to mIRC and have no idea what to do.

op1: Type findRandomTitle

noob1: banned

op2: LOLZ that was funny dude.

op1: Yeah.

noob2: I couldn't find RareTitle in any of the fserves or bots. How can I get it?

op1: Shut up before I ban you. If you can't find it that means we can't help ya.

op2: Yeah. That title sucks anyway. You should be ashamed for wanting to have it.

noob2: Hey, I like that title! It's not all that bad.

noob2: banned

op2: LOLZ that was funny dude.

op1: Yeah.

Yep, that should go a long way towards expanding the community of anime lovers. I'm not saying all ops are like that.  
I'm just saying that I've been seeing a ton of that kind of thing recently. Of course, they can do whatever they want and operate their channels as they see fit. I myself have never experienced problems since I just lurk, but this kind of anti-noob behavior is giving anime lovers in general a bad rep.

Noobs are people too.

Now that we're done with most of the reasons this was late,  
I'm sure you're wondering what finally motivated me to write. The thing is, this chapter was 98 finished for about four weeks but I just couldn't be bothered with it. See, I figured that if Warpwizard could hang around his beach resort with various girls in slinky catsuits hand-feeding him jellybeans (may not be an entirely accurate guess as to what goes on in his private life) then I can hang around my house and watch Beast Boy get the short end of the stick so Robin can look cool in Teen Titans.

Then he went and released a chapter of WHBM.

What kind of a world is it when an author can't laze around without some other author releasing chapters and making him guilty?

Tip: If you want to get me writing faster, bug Warpwizard for the next chapter of his Shinji/Rei lemon or his Pokegirls story. Don't bug me. Bug him.

I didn't ask Warpwizard for permission to give his email out,  
but you can easily find it by googling for his fics or looking at his online journal. Let the nagging commence!

Anyway, I immediately finished the chapter (took all of seven minutes to do) and sent my usual pre-reader call to the FFML. Two weeks later, after I've given up on the remaining pre-readers ever sending me their comments, here is the result. Speaking of pre-readers, isn't it just grand when they totally agree on what the chapter needs?

Chester: You can express a lot of drama with minimal use of descriptions, packing a lot of emotion into a few words. That's great.

Shade: The detail in this chapter took a plunge. Add more descriptions!

Now normally I'd go with Chester because it saves me work, but I went over the chapter and added some descriptions where I felt they were called for anyway. What do you guys think?

A couple of weeks (months?) ago Warpwizard and I were exchanging emails and talking about MST fanfics. Basically, we hate them. I dunno about him, but it always annoys me when MST authors say that they write MSTs to help authors improve their work. I find that impossible to believe.

My friends and I play a lot of M:tG and there was this one guy who just sucked at the game. He became the butt of every "bad play" joke in our group.

The thing is that my friends and I weren't pointing out his mistakes so he could learn from them. We were laughing at his failures for fun. We wanted to humiliate him in front of his peers, not help him get better. He eventually quit playing Magic altogether.

What we did was bad, and it's not something I'm proud of, but at least I admit that I was just being mean when I did it. MST writers seem to think they deserve thanks for pointing out an authors mistakes in public. That's BS. If they really wanted to help the author improve,  
they can send C&C privately. Public C&C can serve only two purposes.  
They exist to either highlight an interesting problem with the fanfic that other authors may benefit from, or they exist to put an author's mistakes in the spotlight. The majority of MSTs I've read contain no interesting corrections. They mostly point out the obvious. This leads me to conslude that they are there so that the readers can laugh at the MSTed author's mistakes.

MSTs are created for the purpose of ridiculing authors who aren't good at what they do. MSTs are written so that everyone can point and laugh at someone else's mistakes or shortcomings. The last thing in an MST author's mind is the improvement of the victim's writing skill. If the bad authors started to improve, the MST authors would have nothing to write about!

You know what makes MSTs even worse? It's the fact that fanfic authors don't deserve that kind of treatment. They're offering a free service, after all. John "I suck at writing" Doe didn't have to take the time to write his horrible lemon and post it on the web for others to read. It's not like the readers deserve quality fanfiction.

That's right, I just said that fanfic readers do not deserve quality fanfiction (yep, that'll endear me to my audience).

What did they do to deserve what they read, anyway? They didn't pay for it. You know those little utility programs that you can get for free on the web? They always come with a "use at your own risk"  
clause. No one complains because when you think about it, that dude didn't have to make his little utility program available for download at all. He could have just kept it to himself. He was offering a free service, and if the user didn't like the program he could go jump in a lake.

Fanfics are the same way. So what if you read a self-insert where the author gets all the girls and never loses? So what if you read a lemon that's about as realistic as Bush's claim that combat is over in Iraq? You got something for nothing, and if the something you got turns out to be worth nothing, then you got what you paid for.

I myself have read hundreds of fanfics and sent C&C to a lot of their authors, but I've never felt that I deserved to read the great stuff I was reading. I never felt ripped off if the fic I got from turned out to be really bad. I paid nothing, and I deserve nothing.

A friend of Chester once sent me a bad CCS fanfic. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't good. On a scale of one to ten, I'd give it a four. It had some promise, however.

The C&C I sent back to him tore into the fanfic like it was.  
something that gets brutally torn a lot. I pointed out every little mistake I could find, and I didn't pull any punches.

That was wrong of me.

Here was a promising young author and I smashed him totally.  
My corrections were legitimate, but they were designed to create an extremely good fanfic out of a bad one. For a beginner like him, it would have been better just to point out the most glaring errors and have him fix those. When he writes good enough, the smaller details could be ironed out. He was struggling with making a house and I was telling him he needed to build a tower. That's not the way to nurture newbie writers. Fanfics are supposed to be written for fun!

You can send negative C&C, of course. That's fine. It helps the author improve when you tell him what he did wrong and how he can fix it. However, you need to understand that criticism should encourage authors to improve themselves, not give up. Telling the world what a newbie author did wrong and making jokes about his mistakes so everyone can point and laugh at him is just mean.

Hmmm... now for my want-list (help me find stuff I want so I have more time to write!):

.Jose Argao's Amazing Want-List.

1. Iceman fanfics - I haven't read any Bobby-centric fanfics lately and it's making me cranky as hell.

2. Age of Apocalypse scans - I'm looking for those, as well as related the Legion Quest series that lead up to it. I have the actual comics,  
but I don't want to ruin them by scanning the pages.

3. Anime/Manga titles I would like but haven't read yet - You know I like Hanaukyo Maids, Ichigo 100, and the like. What else should I be reading?

4. Dan Brown ebooks - I have the actual books, but can't be bothered to scan them. I already have the Da Vinci Code in PDF. I'm looking for Angels and Demons, Digital Fortress, and Deception Point.

Finally, I'd like to end this rant by saying that I don't, as some misguided souls seem to think, hate Akane. I don't like her, but I don't really hate her either. What I hate is the Akane/Ranma pairing.  
Stop trying to convince me that she's nice and lovable. I already know that she's nice to Ryoga and lovable when Ranma isn't around.

Please send C&C to

Visit my homepage ) for new chapters. 


	23. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: TeH CH4rctER5 PhE4+UrEd IN TH15 PhNph1C Re +H3 Pr0p3RtY OF ThE1r REsPeCt1v3 0WNer. 1 4M N0t M4KiNg nY m0NEy fR0M +h15 WORk.  
PlE53 dOn'+ sU3.

Warning: messes up the formatting on my text files, so you may want to check this fic out at my homepage (address at the bottom) if you want it single-spaced and with scene separators.

Warning: Altaverse (Keiichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is all messed up.)

"words"

'thoughts'

A Time for Wild Horses chapter 21 by Jose Argao

"Ramza Beoulve, prepare to die!"

Father Anderson's target avoided his lunge by deftly stepping to the left, but the priest's attack routine was far from finished. Upon landing, he quickly launched an arm towards his opponent, who avoided his grasp yet again by jumping backwards just in the nick of time.

"Well now, is that any way for a holy man to act?"

Ramza ran a hand through his long blonde hair and regarded Father Anderson with a look of amusement. He slowly drew two swords from behind him, one in each hand.

Father Anderson could feel waves of dark energy emanating from one of the weapons, even as the other glowed with holy power.

"Excalibur and... Chaosblade?"

Ramza laughed out loud. "Bravo! You've done your homework!  
Two swords... one of them a holy artifact and the other a tool for destruction. A powerful combination, don't you think?"

Anderson growled and brought out two blades of his own. "Do not speak to me of holy things, traitor. I know not how you were able to get inside this building, but you will not leave this place alive!"

The two combatants lunged at each other, meeting in mid-air with a flurry of blazingly fast sword strikes and parries. They landed on the ground face to face, their weapons pressing locked between them.

Ramza grinned. "You're pretty strong for a priest. Tell me,  
just how many lives had to end by your hands for you to get this good?"

Father Anderson glared at Ramza and pushed harder, which was apparently all the smaller man was waiting for. Ramza allowed himself to fall backwards, raising a foot towards Anderson's midsection as his momentum carried him forward. In an instant, Father Anderson found himself flying through the air. He hit the wall with a loud thud and fell to the ground in a heap.

"I'm not done yet!"

Ramza vaulted to his feet, ran towards Anderson and slashed down at the fallen man with Excalibur. Anderson barely dodged his strike by rolling to the left before the sword came down on him.

Ramza raised Chaosblade into the air and brought it down with all of his strength, only to have it knocked to the side by one of Anderson's blades. This brought the priest's weapon parallel to the ground, and Ramza stepped on it to prevent him from using it further. Father Anderson attempted to stab his opponent with his remaining blade but Ramza was able to leap backwards and avoid the strike. Father Anderson stood up and adopted a defensive stance as he tried to decide what to do next.

The two men stared at each other from opposite ends of the room. Several moments of silence passed. Suddenly, both men ran towards each other and met in the middle of the room, hacking and slashing at each other with great speed.

The explosive confrontation continued for several seconds,  
neither side able to get a clean hit in on the other. Every thrust was expertly parried, every slash dodged or blocked. It seemed as though neither fighter had the upper hand.

Suddenly, both of Father Anderson's blades snapped in two from the stress, their sharp ends flying across the room and rendering the priest weaponless. Anderson stared speechless at the remaining stumps in his hands. He angrily threw them both away, glaring at Ramza with hate-filled eyes.

Ramza laughed. "I guess they just don't make swords like they used to, huh?"

Anderson responded by reaching into his coat and retrieving half a dozen sharp blades from within its folds. The priestly warrior threw them all at Ramza, who avoided the barrage of projectiles by dodging to the left.

Exactly as Father Anderson had anticipated.

Faster than any normal man could see, the powerful priest threw several parchment seals at his opponent, which quickly multiplied into many more as they flew through the air. They swirled around Ramza,  
covering him from neck to toe.

"Now you die!"

Anderson laughed maniacally at the plight of his opponent,  
the sound of his demented guffaws echoing inside the room. He retrieved another blade from his coat and dashed towards his opponent.

"Enough!"

Father Anderson had barely heard the loud cry when a large blade whizzed past his face, barely missing his nose. The large man stood up straight and turned towards his left in order to face the person who had so rudely interrupted him. His visage grew dark with anger as he started to speak.

"Ciel?"

A dark shadow on one of the room's corners started to move,  
gradually taking on the shape of a cloaked young girl. Ciel frowned at the priest.

"Lower your weapon, Father Anderson. Ramza is not an enemy.  
He is on our side."

Father Anderson could scarcely believe his ears. "Our side?  
This man is a heretic! He was exiled into the Deep Dungeon hundreds of years ago! The mere fact that he yet lives is proof that he has given his soul to the devil in exchange for a new lease on life. A lease, might I add, that would have already ended were it not for your interference."

Ciel raised an eyebrow at Father Anderson's declaration. "Do not be so hasty in jumping to conclusions, Father. The only life that would have ended back there was your own, unless you've recently developed an immunity to Ultima magic."

Anderson turned towards the wall to his right, where Ciel's blade was now embedded.Slowly, the space beside the blade seemed to fold into itself, becoming distorted so that the wall looked like it was being seen through a warped looking glass. The distortion grew more and more pronounced. Moments later, the image of a pretty young woman with auburn hair came into focus.

The girl was wearing a pink, long-sleeved dress that fell to her knees. One of her sleeves was pinned to the wall by Ciel's blade.

"So you've found me. I thought that was just a lucky shot.  
I'm impressed."

A metallic sound to Anderson's left caused him to turn that way, where he managed to catch Ramza freeing himself his swords.

Ramza lowered his weapons. "Ciel-chan speaks the truth. Alma and I did not come here to fight you. We are, after all, members of Iscariot as well."

Ciel nodded her head. "Father Anderson, Ramza and Alma Beoulve are provisional members of Iscariot. They have been rehabilitated and no longer burn with a desire to expose the public to dangerous ideas."

Father Anderson was not convinced. "That still does not explain why they are still alive. I understand that Ramza and his party were sent to the Deep Dungeon hundreds of years ago."

Alma answered Anderson's question by retrieving a small purple orb from one of her pockets and showing it to him.

"This is Serpentarius, the final Zodiac Stone. My brother and I retrieved it from Elidibs at the bottom of the Deep Dungeon... at the cost of the lives of our comrades. Its power has kept us alive through the years and allowed us to escape our dark prison."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Father Anderson, who reluctantly put his weapons away and sat down on a chair. He regarded the Beoulve siblings with eyes of hate as he spoke again.

"Very well. I shall accept that explanation. Be warned,  
however, that I shall respond to the slightest indication of treachery on your part without mercy."

Ciel sat near the middle of Ramza and Anderson in an attempt to diffuse the tense atmosphere in the room. She motioned for Alma to sit across from her as she spoke once more.

"Well, now that we have that settled, why don't we get back to the task at hand. I'm sure that Ramza and Alma would rather not talk about their time in the Deep Dungeon. All those monsters... no light at all... and they must have spent every moment fighting..."

"That's actually not completely accurate." Alma sat down beside Ramza and wrapped her arms around his neck. "While it's true that we did a lot of fighting, we occasionally found time to... amuse ourselves."

Ciel blushed bright red at Alma's words. She removed her glasses and wiped the lenses on her cloak. Father Anderson turned away in disgust. An uncomfortable silence fell across the room.

Ramza was the first to speak up. "Well, that's enough about that. What's our new mission?"

At that, Ciel regained her composure and retrieved a small device from her cloak. She pointed it at one of the walls and pressed a button. The wooden paneling parted to reveal a large monitor.  
Another press of a button caused the monitor to turn on and display a video of news footage from Japan.

Ciel spoke as the footage continued to play. "Morrigan Aensland, who was thought to have died many centuries ago, was spotted recently in Japan. The circumstances surrounding her rebirth are unknown to us at this moment, but the Vatican has decided that she must either be killed or sent to the Makai realm as soon as possible.  
The four of us have been assigned by the order to do just that."

"Bingo! That's Natsume-nee! Got it on the first try! But how about me? Do you remember me? Do you remember my name? Do you know who I am?"

Before he could even start to think of an answer, Ranma found himself holding a pretty, brown-haired young girl in his arms. The girl was smiling at him, looking expectantly up at his face. Ranma was easily able to recognize the little ball of energy.

Ranma smiled back at the girl. "You're Kurumi."

"Yay, he remembered! Whee!" The girl bounced out of Ranma's embrace and started running around in circles. Ranma realized he was in some kind of metallic prison cell.

The walls, ceiling and floor all seemed to be made of steel.  
There was a door on one side made of the same material. Ranma turned towards Natsume and asked the obvious question.

"Where are we? What are we doing here?"

Natsume shook her head as she answered. "I'm not really sure myself. Kurumi and I were walking around in a forest when these weird cloaked girls started attacking us. We tried to fight back, but there were too many of them. I got knocked out pretty quickly, and I guess Kurumi was as well. When we woke up, we were already in here. You were brought here a couple of days ago. We were afraid you weren't going to wake up!"

Ranma nodded slowly. "Sounds pretty much like what happened to me, except I wasn't fighting any cloaked girls. Have you two tried escaping?"

Kurumi stopped running and answered Ranma's question. "Of course we tried that! The walls and door wouldn't budge no matter how hard we kicked them, and there aren't any openings small enough for me to pass through. Finally, in case you haven't noticed, our weapons are gone!"

Ranma nodded slowly. "I see. Are there any guards outside?  
Maybe they can open the doors. We can tell them you've got a fever or something and jump them when they go in."

Natsume shook her head. "There's a guard outside that has the access keys, but he doesn't fall for any of our usual tricks. We tried the 'sick prisoner' thing but he just looked into our cell then walked away."

Kurumi went over towards Ranma's bed, where she sat between him and Natsume. She giggled and wrapped her arms around Ranma before falling asleep.

Ranma looked at Kurumi and frowned. He tried to pry himself loose of her grip but was unable to get enough leverage to do so. He raised an inquiring eyebrow at Natsume.

"Please excuse my sister." Natsume bowed in apology. "She seems to be under the impression that this is all some sort of game."

Ranma nodded. "It's okay, I don't mind. What we need to do now is figure out a way to get out of here."

Natsume smiled. "Actually, now that you're awake, I think I have a plan that just might work..."

"We've lost contact with defense squads one, two, four, six,  
and eight. The remaining squads are engaging the intruders as we speak,  
but they are barely holding their po."

Integra Wingates Hellsing frowned and tapped at the receiver of her phone in an attempt to regain contact with the field commander of her troops, getting a bunch of static for her trouble. She swore under her breath before flinging the useless communication device at the wall. It broke into three pieces and fell to the floor in a heap.  
She raised a cigarette to her lips and was about to light it when an especially powerful explosion rocked the ground and caused her to drop the nicotine-filled cylinder to the ground.

'Wonderful. Just wonderful.'

The week had not gone well for the head of the Hellsing Organization. First, Seras had gotten herself taken hostage by Iscariot, then there had been sightings of Morrigan Aensland in Japan, and now this new attack on Hellsing headquarters was proving to be surprisingly difficult to repel.

"You wanted me?"

Integra felt the presence even before she heard the voice.  
Her heart started beating faster almost immediately. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Though she was not afraid of Alucard,  
he radiated a powerful, evil aura that always put her on edge.

"Two vampires have breached the outer defenses and are making their way towards the main building. Stop them."

Integra was able to silently count up to seven before Alucard replied.

"I... cannot."

Hellsing Organization's head turned towards her vampire and raised an eyebrow at him. She glared at him as she spoke.

"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"

Alucard's face remained expressionless as he responded. "It means what it means. I cannot stop the intruders from advancing.  
Their combined strength far exceeds my own. It would be best for you to escape."

Integra could hardly believe her ears. This was the first time Alucard had ever let her down. It was something that she had previously not even thought possible.

"What if Seras assists you?"

As if in reply to Integra's suggestion, Seras Victoria's body smashed through the steel-reinforced walls of her study and flew across her room before hitting a wall and falling onto the floor. The room's occupants stared at the gaping hole where she had passed.

Two individuals stepped through the hole, one male and the other female. The woman was carrying a body over her shoulder. Integra recognized it immediately.

"Walter!"

The newly arrived man chuckled at Integra's visible distress.

"Do not worry about him. He will live to fight another day. It is yourself that you should be most concerned about."

"You! You told me you were gonna help me get hitched to Ranchan! You went running off by yourself! What is all this?"

Ukyo pointed an accusing finger at one of the new arrivals and glared at her, causing Skuld to shrink back behind Belldandy. She poked her head out from behind her sister and grinned nervously.

"Er... yeah. That trip to Jusenkyo didn't work out so well,  
did it?"

Ukyo rolled her eyes. "Didn't work out so well? DIDN'T WORK OUT SO WELL? I'm sitting in the middle of a multimedia presentation room located in Asgard, wearing a dress that looks like it used to be a curtain in a previous life. There's a guy beside me who says his name is Odin and that he's the leader of the gods. It also seems that I've been hired for a job that I don't want and never applied for. On top of all that, I've contracted a Jusenkyo curse. All you have to say for yourself is that our trip didn't work out so well?"

Belldandy smiled warmly at the agitated Ukyo. "That dress looks lovely on you, Ukyo-san."

Ranma's cute fiancee blushed and lowered her gaze in embarrassment. "Well, I guess it does look kinda flatteDon't change the topic!"

At that moment, Skuld stepped out from behind Belldandy and bowed low in front of her. "I'm very sorry, Ukyo-san. I wasn't planning on any of this happening. Please don't be angry anymore. I promise that I'll help you get married to Ranma as soon as I get rid of our Jusenkyo curses."

Ukyo raised an eyebrow at Skuld's remark. "Goddesses can get cursed too?"

"Can't this wait until after the meeting?" Urd plopped down onto a chair and leaned backwards. "I want to get back to my terminal to see if it's found Ranma yet."

Skuld glared at her eldest sister. "Stop acting like we're such a bother, would you? This is mostly your fault anyway!"

Urd glared right back. "Look, I wasn't the one who took a dive into a cursed"

"Silence!"

The room became quiet as the booming sound of Odin's voice died down. He motioned for the girls to sit down in front of a large,  
white screen located on one of the walls. After they were seated,  
he inserted what looked like a DVD into a small slot located beside the screen. Pressing a button on a control panel underneath the slot caused the lights in the room to dim as the screen came to life.

Odin cleared his throat and began talking. "You are about to watch a series of highly classified video surveillance captures of the events surrounding the Morrigan incident several days ago. Please refrain from asking any questions until after you've watched the video. You have all witnessed some of these events yourselves, but none of you have seen all of them."

The four women sat quietly and watched as the video opened with a scene showing Ranma fighting Ryoga and Kuno.

"Help! Someone help me! He's out of his mind! Get him out of here! Get him out of here!"

Peter "Vern" Burns rolled his eyes and sighed at the latest attempt by the new girls to get his attention. He set his copy of Sports Illustrated's new swimsuit issue down on the table in front of him and rubbed his temples. He shook his head vigorously before getting up from his seat and slowly making his way to their cell.

Any other soldier in the compound would have loved to be assigned to cell-block C. All the candidates for the new doll program were kept there before being sent to the conditioning center. Each and every single one of them was a perfect physical specimen of the female body, and there was nothing in the "Welcome to Shadaloo" handbook that prohibited taking certain liberties with the girls.

Of course, what the other men failed to realize was that the main reason no rule against taking advantage of inmates was in place was that such a rule was completely unnecessary. The girls were all more than capable of taking care of themselves. The same beautiful,  
toned bodies that made them so desirable also made them very strong and athletic. Coupled with the fact that they girls were captured for their potential as super-soldiers... well... he doubted that he would last three seconds alone together with any of them.

It just wasn't right, letting a man spend so much time around prime female flesh that he would never be able to touch. It was sheer torture, even if you didn't count the fact that the girls liked to try all sorts of wild and crazy tactics to get him to open the doors to their cells.

Like this one, for example.

Vern peeked into the cell where the racket was coming from and groaned. It was the new guy. He knew there was going to be trouble from the moment he read the transfer order.

The girls in the doll program had always been kept separate from the other prisoners. That was just the way it was done. They were special, and there was no way to be sure that they wouldn't kill some poor enemy soldier out of boredom if they ever had to share a cell with a normal inmate. However, the transfer order specifically noted that this Ranma guy was going to be able to hold his own just fine. Vern never really understood how the guy would be able to do it, since he was unconscious when he was brought in, but as a member of the military Vern was trained to obey orders without question, regardless of his opinions on their validity.

At the moment, Ranma had one of the girls in the doll program backed up into a corner and was apparently assaulting her. Another girl from the program was in the opposite corner of the room, trembling with fear. He recognized the girls. Brought in not long before the new guy,  
their transfer orders identified them as sisters, though Vern couldn't remember their names for the life of him.

"Please! He's got Natsume! You've got to help him! He might kill her! I'll do anything!"

Vern pumped his right fist in the air. Natsume and Kurumi!  
Those were their names! Natsume was the older one busy with the new guy and Kurumi was the younger one cowering in the corner. Vern remembered sighing wistfully as he looked at their pictures. All that hot, nubile girl-flesh right under his nose and he was never going to be able to do anything about it. Vern shook his head and started walking back to his post. He was assigned to prevent the prisoners from getting out. There was nothing in his orders about protecting them from each other.

'What the...'

Suddenly, Vern turned back towards the window into the cell and looked inside once more. The new guy still had Natsume pinned in the corner, and Kurumi was still crying in the opposite side of the room. For a pair of girls being eyed to be super-soldiers, they sure weren't acting the part. The new guy didn't look like he was all that strong, and Natsume was just flailing wildly like she couldn't escape his grip at all. Kurumi was just bawling and screaming and stuff.

You'd think they would at least try to go all kung-fu on the new guy or something... unless they couldn't.

There was talk that some of the girls in the doll program weren't being trained to be fighters at all. They were going to be strategists, scientists and researchers. Of course, that meant they were going to be chosen for their brains instead of their brawn.  
Judging from their weakness in the face of Ranma's assault, Natsume and Kurumi looked like they couldn't fight off a lamb.

Vern looked at Ranma again. He was taking an extremely long time getting Natsume's clothes off, even though the girl was barely resisting him. He didn't look too tough. It would be easy to take him down. Afterwards, it would be even easier to take his place as Natsume's worst nightmare. When he was done with Natsume, little Kurumi would be next.

Vern's fingers trembled as he entered his password into the control panel beside the cell's door. Finally, he would be able to live out one of his greatest fantasies. This was going to be great.

"Oooof!"

He was too careless. Vern realized this even as he fell to the floor. Of course the three of them were working together. He had let his desires get the better of him. That promotion he was hoping for was good as gone now. He crawled towards the cell's control panel and struggled to reach it after falling to the floor and watching the prisoners leave. He pressed the alarm button then fell to the floor,  
unconscious.

"Your threats do not scare me, vampire. Just who do you think you are, coming here of all places?"

Demitri almost laughed at the human woman's bravado. There she was, a human female in the presence of three of the most powerful vampires to have ever lived, and she was the one making threats? This girl was proving to be quite interesting indeed. He bowed low in front of her before drawing himself up to his full height.

"I am Demitri Maximov, lord of the vampires. Curre"

"Arcueid Brunsteid at your service! I guess you could say I'm a vampire princess. Pleased to meet you! You really shouldn't smoke too much. It reeks in here!"

A large sweat drop appeared on Integra Hellsing's forehead.  
She had thought herself prepared for any devious mind-games the intruders would want to play, but she had to admit that she had no idea how to deal with the giggly blonde vampire who was now humming a nauseatingly happy tune with a bright smile on her face.

Integra wiped the sweat drop off with a handkerchief before replying. "Yes... well... I'll see what I can do about quitting. In the meantime, please put Walter down."

Arcueid dropped Walter's body onto the floor unceremoniously before leaping into the air and landing on Integra's table and patting her patronizingly on the head. "Aw... you're worried about him aren't you? That's so sweet! You really shouldn't, though. He's not gonna die or anything. I held back! Demi-chan told me that we weren't supposed to kill any"

Demitri grabbed Arcueid at that point and set her down on the floor. "Yes... that's very good, Arcueid. Please stop talking. Anyway,  
as I was saying, my name is Demitri Maximov and I am the current ruler of the Makai realm."

Integra smirked at her unwanted visitor. "The Makai realm is under the control of Asgard."

A frown formed on Demitri's face. "That... may be accurate for now... but it will not be true for much longer."

The head of Hellsing raised an eyebrow at this declaration.  
She stared straight into the vampire lord's eyes as she spoke. "I suppose this would have something to do with the recent reappearance of Morrigan Aensland?"

Demitri smiled and nodded. "Correct. You are well-informed for a human. Seeing as you're in the business of erasing our kind from the face of the Earth, I was hoping that you would consider joining forces with me temporarily to eliminate the threat she poses. Afterwards, I shall return to the Makai realm and the Earth will have two fewer elite darkstalkers to worry about. It works out very well for both of us,  
wouldn't you say?"

Integra regarded Demitri with a doubtful look. "You have a rather... confrontational way of proposing truce. How am I supposed to work with someone who has just killed most of my men?"

A weighty silence followed Integra's remark. One that was broken by a horrifying, indescribable sound of complete suffering that neither Integra nor Demitri had ever heard before in their lives. They quickly turned towards the dark corner of the room where the sound had originated.

Alucard clutched at his side and glared at Arcueid. His eyes glowed red with anger. "Stop that."

Arcueid giggled in response. "Yatta! I still know Alu-chan's ticklish spots!"

In a rather impressive display of self-control, both Integra and Demitri managed to refrain from laughing. Demitri cleared his throat loudly and resumed the conversation. "Anyway, I was going to say that neither Arcueid nor I killed any of your men. We simply incapacitated them. I thought that you would be more receptive to accepting our help if you really needed it."

Integra shuffled some papers that were on her desk, her mind refusing to work at peak performance. "Yes... well... I guess it can't be helped."

Demitri bowed in front of Integra once more. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Ms. Hellsing. I shall return later to discuss the particulars of my plan. Come, Arcueid!"

The two vampires disappeared into the shadows, leaving Integra and Alucard in the room with their unconscious companions. Two seconds of silence passed before Seras started to wake up. She opened her eyes and immediately winced in pain.

"Ugh... my head feels like it's been run over by a mountain and I can't feel the left side of my body..."

Alucard looked at the young vampire and shook his head. "You will heal in a few hours. Try not to move around too much until then."

At that point, Walter started to wake up as well. He looked around himself and realized that he was in Integra's study.

"What happened here?"

Alucard started to disappear into the shadows as he spoke. "It does not concern you. Do not mind it."

Seras was about to ask Alucard what he meant, but her master had already left the room. She turned towards Integra with an inquiring look on her face. The head of Hellsing merely sighed loudly before patting her pockets in search of something.

Integra groaned as her search proved fruitless. She stood up and walked out of the room, leaving the others inside.

"I need a smoke."

"Do you understand now, child?"

Shampoo stared at the ornate wooden box Cologne had just handed to her. She still had trouble wrapping her mind around the things she had been told. The secrets she was now privy to. She would never have guessed the truth. Not in a million years. The young Amazon still wasn't sure whether she should be happy that Cologne deemed her worthy of the knowledge she now possessed, or betrayed at the realization that she had lived most of her life living a lie.

One thing was for sure, though. The artifact inside the box would be the key to winning Ranma back. The next time she faced those accursed senshi, the results would be different.

Shampoo's eyes lit up with happiness as she replied to her great-grandmother's question. "Yes, Great-Grandmother. Shampoo understand."

Cologne nodded slowly. She would have wanted to wait a few more years before revealing her plans to young Shampoo, but the Juuban encounter had forced her hand. It annoyed her to no end that even now,  
after all this time, Serenity was still messing up her carefully laid plans. In the end, though, this minor setback would not do much to stop her. She would have her revenge.

The Amazon matriarch turned away from her ward and started hopping towards the elevator to the surface. "Come, child. You have a lot of intensive training ahead of you if you are to be able to use my gift effectively. There is not much time left until Son-in-Law resurfaces. You must be ready by then."

Shampoo clutched the wooden box tightly in her hand and followed Cologne inside the elevator. The training would doubtless be far tougher than anything she had endured before, but she would go through with it for Ranma's sake. She would do anything for Ranma. She loved him like no other woman ever could. After this was over, he would realize that as well.

"Who are these girls?"

Ranma dodged a flying kick from the cloaked girl only to find another one about to hit him with a powerful backhand. He caught her arm and used her momentum to throw her against several more of the mysterious cloaked fighters. He grit his teeth in annoyance. The girls were proving to be more formidable opponents than the soldiers that they had fought so far. They had seemingly come from nowhere. One moment he was alone in the large hallway with the sisters and the next these cloaked females were swarming all around them.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen them before!"

Natsume blocked the kick of the girl she was fighting and retaliated with one of her own. The cloaked female avoided her strike with a nimble jump backwards, but did not see Kurumi as the younger fighter unleashed a flurry of attacks at the girl from behind. She was about to land the finishing blow when another cloaked fighter came at her from the side and hit her with a backhand to the face.  
She fell to the ground and held a hand to her cheek.

"Ow! That really hurt!"

Natsume ran towards her sister and managed to connect with a punch to the cloaked girl's face, throwing her to the ground. She turned towards her sister with a worried look on her face.

"How's your face? Can you still fight?"

Kurumi saw that the grounded fighter was already starting to get up, but she was too late to warn Natsume. The girl came at Natsume with a powerful sweeping kick. A loud scream involuntarily left Natsume's lips as pain exploded from her shin and she fell to the ground.

"Natsume? Are you alright?"

Ranma dodged his current opponent's punch, causing the cloaked girl to hit one of her comrades on the face instead. He somersaulted backwards and landed behind another cloaked female, hitting her from behind with a kick to her lower back.

He jumped into the air and landed near the sisters, fending off attacks from all sides. Finally, he unleashed a lightning-fast barrage of punches in all directions.

"Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken!"

Ranma's attack sent the girls around him falling to the ground,  
but four more of were rapidly closing in on him. Ranma used his speed to dodge their attacks, weaving from side to side to avoid getting hit.  
They never even noticed that they were being led around in a spiral.

"Hiryu Shoten Ha!"

The powerful column of air sucked Ranma's remaining opponents into it and threw them around the room like rag dolls. He waited for the wind to dissipate before turning towards the direction where he had last seen the sisters.

Natsume turned towards him and winked. "We're okay, Ranma.  
It'll take a lot more than that to beat us."

Ranma was about to reply when he was interrupted by the sound of loud clapping. He turned to the direction where the sound was coming from and saw three men walking towards him. One of the men was a large,  
ugly black man wearing a boxer's gloves and uniform. Beside him was a tall Hispanic man with long, blonde hair. An even taller man with a large scar on his bare chest and a patch covering one of his eyes walked slowly behind the two of them.

The blonde spoke first. "Congratulations on defeating the new team of dolls in record time! For a while there I thought they were actually going to win! That last technique you used really turned the tables on them, didn't it? The wind sucking them up throwing them around like that... it was beautiful."

Ranma glared at the newcomers. "Who are you people? What do you want with us?"

The blonde-haired man bowed low in front of him. "My name is Vega, and the boxer beside me is called Balrog. The bald guy behind me is Sagat. As for what we want"

"We have a proposition for you." Another man appeared from seemingly nowhere, walking quickly towards where the other three men were. He was very muscular, wearing a red military style uniform.

"You have done well to get this far, Ranma. By defeating my team of dolls, you have proven yourself worthy of becoming one of my men. In short, I am offering you a job."

Ranma frowned. The last battle had left him tired and drained,  
and he wasn't sure if Natsume and Kurumi could still fight with their injuries. Regardless of what this guy had to say, listening to it would buy him time to think of a strategy. He stood up straight and nodded for the man to continue.

"Okay, I'm listening."

"Hah! I knew all this was your fault! You're always  
messing things up for the rest of us!"

Skuld glared daggers at Urd from across the table. Not only had Urd caused her to contract a Jusenkyo curse, the curse was one of the worst ones too! To turn into a succubus... was there any greater embarrassment? Goddesses were supposed to be pure and innocent and chaste!

Well, goddesses that weren't born half demon anyway. Except for those that had an affinity for roses and speaking French. The battle-types could be very loose as well from time to time. Come to think of it, Freya wasn't exactly a paragon of purity either. Ifurita would come on to any guy who could turn her crank. Rukia from soul society ran off with some guy she met on Midgard. There were also all those rumors of Tsunami getting it on with an Earth guy... and she didn't even want to get started with the girls who manned the main terminals with Peorth.

Skuld frowned. Apparently, she and Belldandy were some of the last members of a dying race of untainted goddesses.

But that didn't mean Urd was off the hook! Certainly not!  
If anything, this would make her actions seem even worse. She was an endangered species, after all.

Then again, it wasn't like she wanted to remain this way forever. She had plans involving a handsome young man sweeping her off her feet too. It's just that... well... she didn't exactly think that settling down with a guy on the basis of how much energy she could drain from him was such a romantic concept. Not that she didn't like Ranma, of course. He was okay. More than okay, actually. He was actually kinda hot.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't so bad with Ranma. But the things she did with Ukyo! She'd promised herself not to get involved with clients when she went down to Earth. Of course, Ukyo was a girl. And they were really only doing it because of the energy thing. It's not like she and Ukyo were a couple. Besides, Morrigan and Lilith were basically the same person split into two. The whole thing was totally innocent, just like the time Belldandy taught her how to kiss.

"Well?"

Skuld blinked and looked around her. Belldandy, Urd, Ukyo and Odin were all staring at her. Apparently, Urd had already replied to her accusations and the ball was now in her court. She smiled nervously and scratched the back of her head.

"Um... could you repeat the question?"

Ukyo slammed her fist onto the table and stood before Urd could reply. "Never mind that! How are you people going to take responsibility for my curse? It's going to be really hard to run the Ucchan's now that I can't touch cold water! You were supposed to be helping me!"

"Please calm down, Ukyo-san." Belldandy attempted to coax Ukyo back onto her chair. "I'm sure that we'll be able to do something about that very soon."

Ukyo gave Belldandy an incredulous look. "Very soon? Why not right now? You guys are supposed to be goddesses!"

Skuld bowed apologetically at Ukyo. "Please forgive us, but it's just not that simple when magic is involved. It'd take too long right now, but I promise I'll explain everything later. I'll also continue to help you with Ranma. We have a contract, after all."

Skuld's words were followed by a lull in the verbal exchange.  
Odin took advantage of the opportunity to clear his throat and draw everyone's attention to himself. "Actually, Ukyo's contract with Skuld is no longer binding."

A confused look took over Ukyo's features. "What?"

Odin spoke again. "As I am sure you have noticed in the video,  
Lilith is the physical manifestation of all the primitive instincts that Berial attempted to remove from Morrigan when she was still under his care. She and Morrigan are two sides of the same person. Two parts of a whole."

Ukyo nodded slowly. "Um... yeah. I noticed that."

The leader of the gods continued. "Because of your curse,  
you and Skuld have become the same person as far as the system is concerned. Therefore, you are now a goddess. As goddess under the employ of Asgard. Obviously, employees are not allowed to receive wishes under the goddess relief program."

A large nerve appeared on Ukyo's left temple. "So you're saying that not only have you botched my wish and gotten me cursed.  
I have to work here now? That's not fair at all! I already have a job! I never signed up to be a... a..."

A smile appeared on Ukyo's face when she realized something very important. "I'm a goddess now?"

Odin smiled back and retrieved another DVD from one of his pockets. He slid it towards Ukyo. "Welcome to Asgard. You are now Ukyo Kuonji, Goddess Second Class First Category Limited. This disc contains all the relevant information about your functions. It also has details about salary, vacation time, dental and medical plans,  
and a copy of the employee handbook in portable document format."

Ukyo picked up the disc and turned towards the other goddesses in the room. They were all speechless, apparently just as stunned by this new development as she was.

Odin shook his head. "Well, it would seem that you all need a little more time to adapt to the things you've learned. Let's stop here for now. We'll meet again tomorrow night to discuss your new assignment."

"Allow me to introduce myself, Ranma. My name is Bison and I am the head of an international organization called Shadaloo."

Ranma nodded slowly. He was starting to get an idea of who had abducted him and why. He had heard the name on the news a couple of times. If he remembered correctly, Shadaloo was a terrorist group bent on world domination. Their main base of operations was supposed to have been destroyed months ago, though.

Bison continued to speak. "Shadaloo's aim is to wrest control of the world from the hands of weak-willed politicians and give it to more deserving people."

Ranma chuckled at Bison's words. "Deserving people? I suppose that means you?"

The head of Shadaloo smiled. "Among others, of course. I am only one man after all. My most trusted lieutenants will share control of the world with me. You could be one of those lieutenants, Ranma."

Ranma raised one of his eyebrows. "A lieutenant? What exactly does a Shadaloo lieutenant do?

Bison's smile grew even wider. "How were the girls, Ranma? Did they give you a challenge at all?"

Ranma was taken aback by the question. This Bison guy was supposed to be explaining a business deal to him, not quizzing him on how tough it was to beat his fighters. He decided to just answer. The more time he spent talking, the more time he had to think of a way to escape.

"They were pretty good, I guess. Very predictable, though.  
They never changed their attack patterns and it was easy to get them to follow my rhythm."

Bison nodded at Ranma's answer. He had expected that the new conditioning techniques would lower their ability to come up with new attacking styles. That was partly the reason he wanted Ranma, after all. He retrieved a small electronic device that looked like a from one of his pockets and spoke into it.

"Cammy, get over here!"

Ranma was only able to see a red blur fly through the air and land next to Bison. The blur turned out to be yet another cloaked girl. However, where his previous opponents all wore dark blue cloaks,  
this girl wore a bright red one. She pulled her cloak back, revealing a beautiful face with a mark on her left cheek that might have been a scar. The girl's eyes were bright blue and her blonde hair hung in braids behind her.

"Cammy White reporting for duty, Master Bison." When the girl spoke, her voice sounded completely devoid of emotion.

Ranma turned towards the cloaked girls that he had defeated earlier. Now that he thought about it, none of them had spoken a word during the entire time they had been fighting. Bison smirked upon seeing the young martial artist's confusion.

"The fighters that you fought before are members of Shadaloo's second doll program. Cammy here is the last remaining member of my first doll program, and acting leader of the Shadaloo doll unit. The doll program is a project designed to take advantage of advanced mental conditioning techniques to create perfect soldiers."

Ranma balled his hands into fists. "You mean you brainwashed all these girls into following your orders?"

Bison shook his head. "I wouldn't use those exact terms to describe the process, but you are mostly correct. The minds of the girls in the doll program are under my direct control."

Ranma continued looking at the unconscious bodies of the female fighters he had fought. "Why girls?"

Bison quick to reply. "The mental conditioning requires the use of hormones to affect the brain's functions. Only females respond to them in the manner required."

Ranma nodded once more. "It looks like you got what you wanted. What do you need me for?"

Bison turned to the girl beside him. "Cammy, kill Ranma."

"Go ahead. Say it."

Kasumi ignored Nabiki's words and continued washing dishes.  
She hummed happily as she wiped one of the plates clean and put it away. When two minutes had passed and with Nabiki still standing at the entrance to the kitchen, she finally turned towards her sister and spoke.

"I don't know what you want me to say, Nabiki. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Nabiki rolled her eyes and sat down at the preparation table.  
She shook her head as she thought about Kasumi's reply.

"You're some piece of work, aren't you? If you're going to gloat, go ahead and do it already! I couldn't bring Ranma back, just like you said. I'd appreciate it if you'd just say 'I told you so'  
and put this behind us. Anyway, it's not totally my fault that Ranma disappeared. I would have gotten him home if Akane hadn't butted in at the last moment."

Kasumi nodded thoughtfully as she set a steaming cup of tea in front of Nabiki. "Oh, that. Actually, I wasn't really planning on saying anything about it. I just thought that you were smart enough to know when I'm right and you're wrong. If you couldn't even handle someone as simple-minded as Akane-chan, how can you ever hope to go up against the likes of Shampoo and Ukyo? Ranma is a burden that only I can bear. "

Nabiki frowned. "I can handle those two bimbos just fine,  
thank you very much."

The eldest Tendo sister smiled at her sister. "By renting Ranma out to them at bargain prices? I heard about what happened last time. Ranma told me about it while he helped me with dinner that day.  
Nabiki dear, the idea is to keep your man."

"Look, I have my own ways of doing things. How I handle my affairs is none of your business." Nabiki finished her cup of tea and unconsciously pushed it towards Kasumi for a refill. Her sister poured her another cup without a word.

"Of course not." Kasumi stood up and went back to washing the dishes, humming another happy tune as she did so.

Nabiki started to get up. Apparently, this conversation was now finished. She tried to think of something to say as she took her cup and brought it to the sink to be washed. She couldn't let Kasumi get the last word in.

The middle Tendo sister smiled when she finally thought of something. "You're wrong, you know. I'm going to prove it, too. I'll bring Ranma back and have him fall in love with me so fast it'll make your head spin. Then there'll be nothing you or Akane can do to get him for yourselves."

"I can't believe this..."

Nabiki turned towards the entrance to the kitchen when she heard the words. Standing there, tears brimming from her eyes, was Akane. How long had her sister been standing there? How much had she heard? Nabiki opened her mouth, but no words came out. Akane ran off with her still grasping for words.

"Oh my. Now look what you've done."

Nabiki turned and glared at Kasumi with eyes of hatred. "This isn't over. I'll beat you yet."

Kasumi watched Nabiki turn away and run after Akane. She shook her head at the silly things kids did these days and went back to doing the dishes, humming a happy tune as she did so.

The speed with which the girl moved to comply with Bison's orders took Ranma completely by surprise. She was a fast one. Her cloak hadn't even fallen to the ground after she threw it off and she had already covered half the distance between them. However, it looked like she was following exactly the same attack patterns as the other girls Ranma had fought. He prepared himself to dodge the backhand that was sure to follow.

Only it never came.

Instead of the backhand he expected, Cammy came at him with a lightning-fast kick to his face. Ranma blocked it at the last second,  
but Cammy immediately jumped into the air and curled into a ball. Ranma was unable to avoid her next attack as the nimble girl locked her legs around his neck and flipped over, slamming his head on the ground. She was on top of him before Ranma could even get his breath back, and the girl had already nearly connected with a punch to his neck when he noticed what she was doing. Ranma braced himself for the impact.

Only it never came.

Ranma opened his eyes. Cammy's fist was hovering a mere inch from his neck. Her fist was trembling and her eyes had a wild look to them.

"Cammy, return."

The brainwashed fighter had flipped off of Ranma's body and was back to her post beside Bison once more before Ranma could even get to his feet. He glanced at Natsume and Kurumi and saw that they hadn't recovered from their injuries yet.

Ranma grit his teeth. This was bad. That Cammy girl was on a completely different level from the other girls he had fought. While he was confident that he could easily beat her normally, he wasn't so sure he could do it when he was tired, especially considering that he had to protect the sisters as well. That wasn't even considering that there were four other fighters in the room that he had to deal with.

"She's something else, is she not?" The blonde-haired man called Vega laughed out loud after saying this and the black man joined him. Bison himself chuckled a little. Only the tall guy called Sagat remained silent.

Ranma glared at the head of Shadaloo. "What the heck was that all about? I thought you wanted to recruit me, not kill me!"

Bison shook his head. "I wasn't trying to kill you at all,  
Ranma. I was merely trying to illustrate a point. As you've seen just now, Cammy was unable to deal the finishing blow that would have killed you. She disobeyed my orders. It's because her original mind was strongly opposed to the idea of killing. It tries to reassert itself whenever any of my commands come into direct conflict with its deeply ingrained ideals."

Ranma rubbed his neck as he replied. "So your control methods aren't perfect yet? You don't control them totally? That's what you want my help with?"

Bison shook his head once more. "As I said before, Cammy is from the first doll program. It was fraught with many flaws, the most dangerous of which was the tendency of the mind to rebel as you have seen. That issue was resolved by using more effective methods of mental conditioning to bypass the original mind's thought processes. However,  
those same procedures leave them unable to adapt to new situations,  
since they aren't able to do anything but follow orders anymore."

The head of Shadaloo continued. "That's where you come in. I need you to replace Cammy as the doll unit's leader. As leader, you will lead my dolls into battle and come up with strategies for them to follow. The dolls will be put under your direct supervision and you will be reporting directly to me. You will be rewarded handsomely for your efforts, of course."

Ranma paused for a bit before speaking again. "I see. So basically you expect me to help you with your plans to rule the world after kidnapping me and my friends, putting us in a cell, and making us fight those dolls of yours?"

Bison nodded. "That's what I'm hoping for. Think about it,  
Ranma. With my help, you can reach heights of power you've never even dreamed of. Money... power... women... your heart's desires can all be yours."

Ranma paused for a few moments before replying. "Could we have everyone in Japan say I'm the best martial artist there is?"

Bison frowned. "Yes... well... I don't see why we can't do that.  
But why stop there? Think of the possibilities, Ranma!"

Ranma nodded. "Of course! We could have everyone in the world  
say I'm the best martial artist there is!"

The head of Shadaloo sighed. This was going to be a bit tougher than he thought. "Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of you assuming control of a sizable tract of land... perhaps Australia?"

Ranma looked confused. "Why would I want to do that?"

Bison facefaulted. After getting back on his feet, he decided to try a different approach. "How about women, Ranma? Boys in their teens like girls, right? After the world falls under our control, you would be able to have any woman you wanted!"

Nerima's most eligible martial artist smiled as he thought of what he had just heard. Bison was too dangerous a man to leave here. He was going to have to kick the guy's ass before he left. The long talk had given him time to recuperate anyway, and he felt confident that he could take on four old fighters and come out on top.

"First of all, I don't need you to have everyone say I'm the best. I am the best. Second, I'm already able to get any women I want!  
Finally, there's no way in hell I'm gonooof!"

Ranma fell to the ground in a heap from the blow to his head.  
Standing behind him, Natsume turned towards Bison. "Subject: Ranma Saotome subdued to prevent refusal of membership in Shadaloo doll Unit. dolls: Natsume and Kurumi now awaiting further orders."

Bison shook his head. Ranma's ability to adapt to any situation would have made him a perfect replacement for Cammy. It was not to be,  
however. He made the wrong choice. Forcing him to take the job would not be feasible because it would make him an even more untrustworthy option than Cammy.

The operation was not a complete failure, though. If Ranma was not interested in leading the new doll unit, he was more than welcome to join it instead.

"Take him to the labs and douse him with cold water to trigger the transformation. Put him in the doll program afterwards."

Natsume and Kurumi bowed as they answered him. "As you wish,  
Master Bison."

Author's Rant

It's tough to be controversial.

No, I don't mean that the state of being controversial is a tough state to be in. What I mean is that the process of getting into that state to begin with has become exceedingly difficult over the years.

When I started getting into this whole fanfiction thing several years ago, going against the flow was easy. People devoured the anime they got whole and worshipped the obvious with a passion that I myself found to be rather impressive. Nowadays, you can't even get a good rise out of people when you say that teh Aka-nay suxxorz.  
To the contrary, after my last rant my inbox quickly filled to bursting with emails of support from other people who, like Kasumi, see that Akane is really not that great a person. Surprisingly, a lot of other people also told me that they support my stand on MST fanfiction and share my opinion that readers aren't entitled to good stories since they get the stories for free.

I was devastated.

What's happened, people? I long for the days when I'd post some little pro-Ukyo post on a forum and watch it quickly fill with a discussion of why Ukyo sucks, why I suck, and why Akane should be made queen of the universe. Now I go to forums and say "Akane is a selfish person who fails miserably at seeing situations from any perspective but her own" and everyone's like "Yeah, whatever. We know that already". Even these rants have been getting mostly positive responses.

That's partly the reason why I gave some serious thought to dumping my author's rants and just going with the normal author's notes that I used to do. I mean, if no one was going to violently disagree with me I didn't really see the point. Luckily, I happened to wander into the reviews section of my latest chapter on and read at least one review that expressed anger and frustration at my rants.

I almost cried, except I was in my school's computer lab and there was this cute chick sitting beside me that I was trying to hit on and I figured giving her a line with tears in my eyes wasn't a very good strategy.

Anyway, my drive to rant has been renewed thanks to that guy. I may not remember his name or what he said, and I may be too lazy to look him up, but I remember that he hates these rants and that's the important thing.

In fact, I'm so fired up that I'm going to go the extra mile and exert real effort into being as self-righteous, patronizing and condescending in this rant. As my prereaders all know, getting me to exert effort into doing anything is a commendable accomplishment in and of itself.

So let's talk about ATFWH.

What makes ATFWH... ATFWH? What is the essence of this series I've been writing for such a long time now (would you believe I planned this to be about eight chapters long)?

Is it the fanservice? The character-bashing? The silly, stupid,  
bad fights that distract the reader from the fanservice and character-  
bashing? The alarming tendency to randomly include characters from old and obscure psx rpg games into the storyline? The generally low quality of the prose?

Actually, even I myself am not sure. I find it amusing when readers tell me what they think gives ATFWH its ATFWH-ness. At least three different prereaders and five readers have given me conflicting answers to this question, each with equal conviction that they are correct. My inbox is regularly visited by such gems as:

Reader1: It's the fanservice, dude. As long as the chixxorz get nudexxorz it's ATFWH.

Reader2: Tis de funnay dat make de fic wut it be.

Reader3: Silly plots what ATFWH is. Serious and dramatic ATFWH is not.

Reader4: Would you like to refinance your home? Mortgage rates have never been lower!

Reader5: You can't fool me! You and Warpwizard are one and the same! If not, how come I've never seen you two together at the same time?

So why is it important to think about what ATFWH is? Because it let's you know when ATFWH is no longer ATFWH. Chester, bless his shonen-writing soul (whoa! a plug for another fic in my rant!), told me that this chapter was way too serious to really be ATFWH. It's so different from the other chapters in tone and content that I may just as well have put another name on it. The other prereaders like Shade and Beege didn't seem to have a problem with it, though. Well, Shade asked for more detail like he always does and I put it in so he doesn't tell anyone that I never bothered to bug him to write more.

Normally I just ignore Chester's mad ramblings and shake my head in pity at how fabulously wrong he almost always is, but this time I thought that maybe he had a point. Perhaps, for the first time evah,  
he was actually onto something!

It figures that the only time Chester and I agree is when he takes my words and makes them his own (can't really blame him, since I find my words to be superior to anyone else's). You know those people who aren't twins but might as well be because they're so alike? We're the exact opposite of that. Basically he hates all my work and I hate all of his work.. which makes us perfect for prereading each other!  
There's no C&C like C&C from someone who thinks reading your stuff is a waste of time.

So anyway I showed Chester and a few others a beta version of part of this rant. It was all about SMJ2X, and whether or not SMJ2X is really SMJ at all.

My sister and I had just finished watching the end of SMJ2X,  
and I myself thought it was very good. The most well-made of the series in fact. However, my sister bemoaned the fact that it wasn't at all like the ones that came before it. She said that it was like watching another anime with characters that looked like SMJ characters.

Even the values that the series supported were different in J2X. While the previous ones were all about teamwork and togetherness and learning to put the interests of the group over your own, the last one was all about individuality and being your own person.

So is that bad? IMO it is. When you make a sequel you are basically advertising it as "more of the same but better". When you take a sequel that's so completely removed from the original it might as well be a different series, you're basically trying to trick fans of the original into watching something they may not have wanted to watch otherwise.

Chester says that it's almost impossibly hard to consistently achieve better results using more of the same, but I don't see why that's relevant. If you can't improve on a series, why bother with a sequel? If you're going to do something different, then by all means make a different series!

I've been thinking about this a lot, and while thinking about it Full Metal Panic came to mind. The second season of FMP is one of my favorites, but what if I didn't like comedy? What if I liked the first season because of the cool mecha (Note: I usually hate mecha and mecha-centric anime) and bought the second season because I wanted to see more of the arm-slave in action?

Can you imagine it? I would have been duped into buying a series that I didn't like because it had a misleading name slapped onto it!

I've been told that the first and second seasons of FMP are actually focused on different aspects of the manga. That the first one concentrates on the action and the second on the comedy.

So... is either season truly Full Metal Panic? Is ATFWH still ATFWH? Is this a bad or good thing? I'm not so sure myself. Email me with your comments and opinions!

Enough about that. It's time to talk about me. I've been busy as usual lately, and I was hoping to cool off on the writing for a while until I had infinite free time again. Of course, that strategy didn't work out because Warpwizard decided to release a new chapter of his excellent pokegirl story.

As if that wasn't enough, he went and put me on the spot by mentioning that I was finishing this chapter up on his blog thing. What was I supposed to do then?

Anyway, I would like to formally announce here that he told me that he was gonna write more of his Shinji/Rei fic. Go bug him for it! A man who does not write lemons in a timely fashion does not deserve to eat a good steak!

So I've been playing Chaos Legion recently. Great game. Better than Devil May Cry, IMO. It also seemed to be harder than DMC... until I found out that Blasphemy rules all in a way that Thanatos only wishes he could. Fully-powered Blasphemy and Thanatos allowed me to easily beat the game. Tekken 5 is out, though I haven't been playing it enough to get a feel for the new engine. I suppose I could give Asuka a try sometime.

I'm very happy about the recent bannings in Magic: the Gathering. Affinity was dominating the metagame like nothing I've ever seen, and I've seen Necro decks in action baby! Affinity was like a bully in the playground forcing everyone else to play by his rules or die. I laughed in the face of UG Control players who would tell me that Affinity was a good matchup for them.

I have yet to lose to a UG Control deck with my Affinity deck. In the hands of a good player, Affinity can beat anything. It's the first aggressive deck I've seen that obsoletes Sligh. Faster than Sligh and more resilient to removal? Amazing. If you or a friend you know has a deck in standard that destroys Affinity, then you are either mistaken, playing a sub-optimal Affinity build, or playing Affinity wrong.

As for anime and manga, Bleach is still good. Likewise for Naruto. School Rumble rocks. Mai Hime's anime is still a confused jumble of different tones and genres trying to wrest control of the show from each other, though the manga is firmly entrenched in the love comedy with action genre. I read Rose Hip Rose but it ended just as it was starting to get good, so I didn't like it. I'm trying to read Rokudenashi Blues but Toriyamaworld won't let me download the chapters after chapter six. Do any of you guys have them?

I've managed to get a few new chapters of Eyeshield 21 on irc. Up to chapter 47 I think. Pretty good stuff. I also saw the OAV and liked it. The new AMG anime is good. I managed to get Cromartie episodes up to episode 23, but no more. That's a shame, since I think there are only a few more left. The Mahou Sensei Negima anime turned out to be a pathetic shadow of the manga. It was obviously rushed and not given a big enough budget, hoping the many girls would be able to carry it through. Ichigo 100 is getting silly. It's getting to the point where I don't even care what happens in the end anymore, as long as it finally ends.

There really isn't anything I want right now, so no want-list for this chapter. I suppose better scans of Rei 5 by Mogudan would be in there, but his work has gotten really terrible this time around so I'm only collecting it for the sake of completeness.

Finally, I would like to thank Chester, Shade, Beege, Helmut Steeg, Gordon, Michael Myers and David Andersson for all the help they gave me for this chapter. That's it for now. Till next time, keep bugging Warpwizard for Shinji/Rei action!

Please send C&C to my homepage (http:members. for new chapters. 


	24. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Not mine. Not making money. You know the drill.

Warning: Reading this fanfic with one eye closed and the other one squinting really hard may cause dizziness.

Warning: Altaverse (Keiichi ain't here, and the senshi timeline is all messed up.)

"words"

'thoughts'

A Time for Wild Horses chapter 22 by Jose Argao

"Why can't you just tell them your secret identities. You told us."

Usagi shook her head at Ryoga's ridiculous suggestion. "We told you about our secret identities because Mako-chan vouched for you, but we don't have any idea if we can trust those Nerima people."

"But I can vouch for them! Akane is one of the nicest people I've ever known. In fact, her whole family is nice. There's absolutely nothing to worry about."

Usagi sighed. Makoto's friend was being needlessly thickheaded.  
"Look, we just need to be sure. If they come over and it turns out that they're okay, we'll tell them. Until then, you and your friends need to keep quiet about who we really are."

"I disagree." Mousse's glasses flashed as he spoke, an effect that had taken him years of practice in front of a mirror to master.

"You want to tell them about our secret identities?" Usagi gaped at Mousse. Had he heard nothing of what she had said?

"Of course not." Mousse adjusted his glasses as he spoke. "I don't really care about that one way or the other. However, I cannot accept being called Ryoga's friend. We are merely casual acquaintances at best."

"I think you're missing something very important." Rose managed to get a word in before Ryoga could concur. "Even if you were to meet with the Tendos in your super-heroine personas, wouldn't the fact that the meeting takes place at Hikawa Shrine give away Ms. Hino's identity,  
at the very least?"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that." Usagi smirked at the older woman. "We already have a plan prepared for that possibility."

"What are we going to do? We don't have any kind of plan prepared for that possibility!"

Rei rolled her eyes at Usagi's cries. "Look, I'm kinda busy right now. Do you think we could maybe talk about this after I'm done with my bath?"

Usagi frowned. Rei was showing a remarkable lack of interest in the possibility of her secret identity being exposed. "But when they get here and they don't see you, they might figure out that the shrine maiden must be a Sailor Senshi!"

The raven-haired teen almost crushed the bar of soap in her hands. Did Usagi really think that she would let things get this far without thinking about that possibility?

Rei tried not to sound too annoyed as she spoke. "Look, Usagi,  
you have absolutely nothing to worry about. I'm on this! Just get out of here, please!"

The frown on Usagi's face grew in intensity. It almost seemed like Rei was trying to get rid of her. What was she being so uptight about anyway? They were both girls, and they had seen each other naked before. Rei had nothing to hide... or did she? Usagi could only think of one possible explanation for Rei's strange behavior.

"Your breasts got smaller, didn't they?"

The bar of soap flew from Rei's hand when her grip on the slippery object suddenly tightened. She almost slipped on the floor at her shock over Usagi's words. "What!"

Usagi shook her head. Rei's reaction might as well had been a full-blown confession. "I knew it. I never thought it was actually possible, but I guess you're living proof that it can happen."

Rei angrily picked up the fallen piece of soap and put it back on its holder. She turned towards

"My breasts definitely did not get smaller! Who told you that?"

A sigh escaped Usagi's lips. Denial was everyone's first reaction to a serious problem. "There's no need to be embarrassed about it, Rei. I'm your friend. You can talk to me about problems like this.  
I can help."

Rei opened the door to her shower and thrust her chest practically into Usagi's face. "I'm telling you, they didn't get smaller! As a matter of fact, they got a little bit bigger two weeks ago. I bought new bras, remember?"

Usagi turned away sadly. It was difficult to look at a friend who was suffering. "So it happened two weeks ago, huh? It must have been awkward buying smaller bras than you used to."

Rei angrily grabbed Usagi's hands and placed them squarely on her chest. "There! Tell me how those feel, Usagi! Tell me if they feel smaller than before!"

Usagi blushed bright red. This was a decidedly new experience for her. The sensation wasn't unpleasant, of course, but the act itself was something that she had never envisioned herself doing.

"Rei-chan... I... I guess they don't feel small after all. Can I... let go now?"

Rei managed to get hold of herself in the middle of Usagi's wails. An awkward silence reigned between the two teenagers.

Playing it cool was the only way to get past the event with her dignity intact, Rei decided. "Well now you know. My breasts didn't get any smaller."

Usagi nodded. "I guess not. They actually felt kinda big. And soft, you know?"

Rei nodded as well. "Yeah. That's right. I mean, I don't really touch myself to see if they're soft or anything. I just know because I just happen to touch them from time to time. Accidentally."

"Of course." Usagi continued nodding. "There's nothing wrong with that, since they're yours, you know? You can touch them as much as you want."

Rei paused for a bit, taking in Usagi's words. "Well, that's right. I can touch my own breasts as much as I want because they belong to me. Not that there was anything wrong with what happened before, of course. I kinda lead the way so that means I gave you permission, I guess. Nothing wrong with that, right?"

"Of course!" Usagi was quick to reply. "And it didn't even mean anything. Except now I know I was wrong. I'm sorry, Rei."

Both girls heaved a sigh of relief now that the episode had been dealt with. A silent pact was formed between them to forget that the last few minutes had ever happened.

Rei picked up her soap and started speaking as she continued her bath. "Anyway, I've already thought of a plan to protect my secret identity. We just have to make sure that they see a shrine maiden, and that they see Sailor Mars too. If that happens, then there's no way they'll figure out that the Sailor Mars is the Miko here, right?"

Usagi's face lit up with understanding. "That's a great idea,  
Rei! It's perfect! Brilliant! I wont let you down!" Usagi quickly left the bathroom after speaking.

A slightly confused look settled over Rei's face. She wasn't entirely sure what Usagi had meant that last time. The ditzy blonde had finally left her alone, though, so she could at least finish her bath in peace. She could deal with Usagi later.

"So there's an angel in this egg?"

Ukyo stared intently at the tiny ball of white that Skuld had just given to her. She had spent the better part of her time in Asgard learning what being a goddess was all about. It was hard to believe much of the information inside the disc Odin had given her,  
but that was nothing compared to the small sphere that she had just been given. It certainly didn't look all that impressive. She found it hard to believe that it actually contained a real, honest to goodness angel. With wings and everything. She had expected angel eggs to be... bigger.

Belldandy smiled brightly at her. "Yes there is. You need to take good care of that egg so that one day it'll hatch into a beautiful reflection of the kindness and goodness in your heart, just like Holy Bell!"

At that, Belldandy's angel sprang forth and the two of them started hugging each other, seemingly lost in their own little fantasy of how the egg in Ukyo's hand would hatch into something wonderful.

Truth be told, Ukyo found the whole thing rather creepy. She turned slightly to whisper into Skuld's ear. "Your sister's not on any medication, is she?"

Skuld stopped admiring Belldandy just long enough to answer the question. "Of course not! Onee-sama is naturally full of happiness and cheer. Isn't she wonderful? You should follow her advice. If you do, an angel will hatch from that egg in no time!"

Urd rolled her eyes as she spoke up. "You don't actually need  
to do anything, you know. The angel will come out when you're ready and that's it. There's no special trick to it. I'm not the least bit like Belldandy and I hatched my angel just fine."

Skuld turned to Urd with a look of disgust. "Just fine? The first thing your angel did after hatching was hump my leg!"

The goddess of the past glared at Skuld. "World of Elegance is just naturally affectionate! Besides, I didn't see you struggling to fight her off!"

Skuld blushed bright red at that remark, but she didn't back down from the argument. "It felt ticklish! I was laughing too hard to do anything!"

Urd fixed Skuld with an accusing glare. "Your laughs sounded suspiciously like moans to me."

"Yeah, right!" Skuld crossed her arms in front of herself. "As if I would ever have that reaction to your angel. Impossible."

Urd smiled as World of Elegance materialized behind her. "Are you sure? Why don't we find out?"

Skuld backed away in fear. "You wouldn't dare... I'll... I'll scream!"

A chuckle escaped the lips of Asgard's self-appointed goddess of love. "Oh I'll have you screaming alright..."

"Noble Scarlet, save me!"

In a flash, the two angels were getting it on. Ukyo wondered to herself if all fights between angels were this... intimate. Skuld and Urd didn't look like they were in such good shape either. It was as if the two of them could feel what their angels felt, but with a lot more intensity.

"Ah, look at those two."

Ukyo nearly jumped out of her skin at the sound of Belldandy's voice. She had nearly forgotten that the goddess of the present was in the room with her.

"Angels are reflections of the true selves of their owners.  
They don't do these things with just anyone. This shows that in spite of everything, Urd and Skuld really do love each other. Isn't it just wonderful?"

Ukyo nodded slowly at the smiling Belldandy. The two of them stared at each other in silence for a few moments. Ukyo briefly thought about asking Belldandy who did the highlights in her hair. They were positively gorgeous.

"Goddesses Belldandy, Urd, Skuld and Ukyo, please report to conference room six."

Belldandy turned towards her sisters. "That's us. Let's go."

World of Elegance and Noble Scarlet immediately disappeared.  
Urd and Skuld stood up slowly and brushed themselves off, each trying to catch their breath. They slowly made their way out of the room,  
led by Belldandy.

"I'm sorry, okay? I didn't really mean what I said that time.  
Kasumi was egging me on and it sort of slipped out of my mouth."

Akane turned away from Nabiki and crossed her arms in front of her chest, making it obvious that she wasn't in the mood to talk to her elder sister at all. The whole household was on a train headed for Juuban, and she hadn't spoken to either of her sisters since she had overheard them talking about the recent events concerning Ranma.

To think that the two of them were planning to steal Ranma from her! She would have dismissed the idea as impossible only a few days ago, but there was no denying what she had heard. There was only one logical conclusion. Only one explanation that made any sense at all.

Ranma had seduced her sisters! He'd played with their hearts and run off to Juuban to escape the responsibility! And then, when he saw that they had followed him, he went and ran off with yet another woman that he had seduced during his short stay there.

Come to think of it, it had always seemed a little fishy how Ranma spent all that time helping Kasumi out in the kitchen. He certainly never helped out when she was cooking. And that short time he'd transferred the engagement to Nabiki. Who knew what kind of ecchiness the two of them got up to? Knowing Ranma it probably involved food, cross-dressing, underwear, and lots of water.

Akane shuddered. She wasn't sure she wanted to know exactly how Ranma used those materials to commit his disgusting acts of debauchery.

Of course, Kasumi and Nabiki weren't completely blameless in all this. After all, she herself had managed to resist Ranma's advances for all this time. Why couldn't they? It's not like she didn't find him attractive. She was perfectly aware that Ranma was about as perfect a specimen of manhood as a guy could get. She could feel the electric sensations that his touch caused at the slightest contact between them.  
She knew that for all their complaints about how much of a pervert Ranma was, any one of the girls at school would jump at the chance to be his girl.

In spite of all that, she had never succumbed to his subtle manipulation. She had never given in to the desire. Why couldn't Nabiki or Kasumi do the same? The thought of them together was making her so jea... er... so angry that she could hardly think straight!

Why was Ranma like this? How could he be so... so mean and spiteful as to do this to her sisters? Couldn't he see that these were the things she hated about him the most? Why couldn't he be just a little more caring? Why couldn't he give her just a little more of his attention? She knew he had it in him to be a decent guy. He'd proven that he had it in him before.

After he had saved her from Kirin and Toma... On the way home from Ryugenzawa... He was so perfect back then. Why couldn't he be like that more often? A Ranma she could accept. A Ranma she could respect. A Ranma she could like.

A Ranma she could love.

"What?"

Kasumi stopped looking outside through the window of the train they were currently on. She turned towards Nabiki and raised an eyebrow at her sister's query. "Excuse me?"

Nabiki sighed at Kasumi's reaction. If it wasn't Akane slipping off to her own private little world during their conversations, it was Kasumi with her little Ms. Innocent act.

"Why have you been staring at me for the past six minutes?"

The eldest Tendo daughter smiled sweetly as she continued to stare intently at her younger sibling. "Oh, it's not really important."

Nabiki rolled her eyes. "Humor me, please. Just tell me the reason."

Kasumi seemed to think for a few moments about whether or not to reply before she finally spoke. "Well, I was just wondering whether or not it's physically possible for a dress to be frumpier than Furinkan High's school uniform."

A nasty frown appeared on Nabiki's otherwise pretty face. "I would have worn something else, but someone mysteriously forgot to hang all my other clothes out to dry on the same day that she decided to wash them."

The nauseatingly sweet smile never left Kasumi's visage as she replied. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. Anyway,  
you could have just borrowed some of Akane's... Oh, she's still not speaking to you, is she?"

Nabiki glared at her older sister before deciding to put a stop to the conversation. It wasn't going anywhere anyway.

"Girls, I bought some mints! Would you... er... like... some?"

Soun stopped talking and stared his daughters. His experiences with Happosai had trained him in the art of sensing murderous intent,  
and if his instincts weren't playing tricks on him the area around his daughters' seats was full of it.

Akane was looking out the window. Nabiki and Kasumi were having a conversation at the seat across from hers. Their actions did not overtly betray any malicious intentions, but Soun could feel evil energy in the air. He tried to appear calm as he stepped backwards.  
With any luck, the problem would go away on its own by the time they arrived in Juuban. If it didn't, Nodoka would handle it when they got home. Fortunately, it didn't look like the girls had noticed him. He just needed to quietly slip away--

"I'd like a mint, Daddy."

Soun smiled awkwardly as he turned towards Nabiki. She was looking at him expectantly. Bullets of sweat started running down his neck. Of all the times for her to take him up on one of his offers!  
He rummaged in his pocket and produced a mint, which he handed to her with trembling hands. She took the mint out of its wrapper and popped it into her mouth. That went well. Now all he had to do was get the heck out of--

"Daddy, do you care about which of us marries Ranma?"

Soun turned to Akane. Why was she asking him about this? What did she want him to say? Was she fishing for encouragement to keep her resolve to stick with Ranma, or was she looking for a way out of the engagement? Was that the reason for the evil energy in the air? Did she talk to her sisters about it? Maybe they had an argument because Nabiki and Kasumi didn't want to marry Ranma. It was even possible that they got into an argument because Nabiki and Kasumi did want to marry Ranma.

"Er... why do you ask, Akane?"

Akane turned back towards the window, making it difficult for Soun to gauge her reaction.

"I was just wondering, that's all. You let Ranma transfer the engagement to Nabiki once, after all. Would you do it again if she agreed not to sell the hall?"

Soun gulped. That was a loaded question. Of course, in the end, it didn't really matter to him which one of his girls married Ranma. Of course, he couldn't just go out and say that. What if Akane was just one little push away from agreeing to the marriage? Maybe she realized how much she really loved Ranma while he was gone. In that case the correct move would be to say that he really wanted her to be the one Ranma married. Then again, what if Nabiki and Kasumi were the ones willing to tie the knot for the sake of the family? In that case the correct move would be to say that the option to be Ranma's bride was open to all of them. But what if they all wanted to marry him now?

'We are now arriving at Juuban station. Please check your valuables before stepping off the train. Thank you.'

"Well, would you look at that. We're here! I'll answer your question later, Akane." Soun breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly made his way back to the other end of the train car, where Genma had fallen asleep in his seat. Hinako and Konatsu were there too. They would all head out to the Hikawa Shrine to find out where Ranma was and bring him back home. By then his daughters hopefully would have resolved their differences and he would not have to deal with Akane's impossible question.

"So does everyone understand what needs to be done? Everything must be executed perfectly from this point on. The Juuban incident was a disaster, and I shall not tolerate any further slipups."

Ukyo, Belldandy, Urd and Skuld all nodded solemnly. Satisfied that the four of them understood the importance of what he was saying,  
Odin continued speaking.

"I'm suspending your licenses for the time being."

Urd was about to nod once more when she realized exactly what Odin had said. "You're suspending us? But how are we supposed to do the mission if we don't have access to Yggdrasil?"

Odin turned towards Urd. "You shall retain limited access to Yggdrasil for the duration of your mission, and your angels will of course be available to you as well. That should be enough to complete your tasks. If you are able to accomplish what you need to do in a satisfactory manner, the suspensions will be lifted. Now, if there are no more questions, you may leave."

The four goddesses slowly turned around and left. They had no desire to find out what would happen if they failed.

'If I never let another woman grab my boobs again for as long as I live, it'd be too soon.'

Rei Hino vigorously scrubbed and soaped her body for the fifth time in what was rapidly becoming the longest bath of her life.  
Her encounter with Usagi had left her with an overwhelming need to.  
cleanse herself. What had happened between them? What on Earth had she been thinking when she did what she did? Was she even thinking at all? The whole episode was very troubling.

'I've been in here too long.'

Rei looked at the wrinkled skin on her normally smooth hands.  
The prolonged exposure to water had left them that way. She left the shower, grabbed her towel and started drying herself. She glanced at the mirror above the sink as she made her way towards the changing area. She turned sideways, studying her profile on the mirror.

'They don't look small at all.'

There were several things about her body that Rei would have liked to change if she could, but her bust size wasn't one of them.  
They were just the right size and perfectly shaped, with no noticeable sag whatsoever. Where had Usagi gotten the idea that they had grown smaller? Was that even possible?

'Well, if nothing else, Usagi sure doesn't think they'd gotten smaller now.'

Rei shuddered as she recalled the feel of Usagi's palms on her breasts. The sensation actually hadn't been too unpleasant. It was just felt really strange having someone else touch her there, even if that someone was another girl. Yes, Usagi was a girl. A girl with soft,  
smooth hands and dainty little fingers. She hadn't wasted any important first times with Usagi. Her friend's hands were totally different from the rough hands that boys probably had.

'Or the hands I have right now.'

Rei raised her right hand in front of her eyes and stared at the still wrinkled skin on it. Would that hand feel different from Usagi's? Would it feel like a boy's hand?

Slowly, Rei lowered her right hand and let it rest on her right breast. Nothing so far. Of course, she wasn't really doing it like a boy would. A boy would use more force. A boy would employ a bit more.  
movement. A boy would--

"--and then she didn't even try to stand up for me! She just nodded her head and agreed that Akane couldn't be trusted! That's just too unfair! I'd never met Mako-chan's friends before but I gave them my trust for her sake. Why can't they do the same... for... oh no."

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!"

That idiot Usagi had left the stupid door open! Now two guys she barely knew had just witnessed her practically fondling herself!  
How much had they seen? Did they hear anything? Would she ever live this down?

Rei grabbed everything she could get her hands on and started throwing them at the two males that had just entered the bathroom. Bars of soap, bottles of shampoo, pails of water, and other assorted bath implements sailed through the air towards the duo.

"Bweeeeee!"

"Huh?"

Rei put down the mallet that had somehow found its way into her hand and frowned at the sight in front of her. Ryoga and Mousse were now gone, but they had left their clothes in the bathroom. What's more,  
there was a duck and a small black pig tangled up in their garments.

"What's happening? Are they changing clothes yet? I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this to you, but the best time to nail a woman's panties is while she's changing!"

Mamoru tried his best to ignore Happosai as the old man ranted incessantly about the skills and techniques involved in the art of stealing women's underwear. It was difficult to concentrate on the sounds emanating from his magical seashell, not only because his partner spoke very loud but also because the damned thing he was listening to was as heavy as a house and had to be held against his ear for best effect.

As far as he could tell, there was some kind of commotion inside the bathroom. Something about secret identities and trust. In any case, the outer senshi were just arriving at the gate. He didn't see his beloved Lady Athan with them, though.

Speaking of his pigtailed goddess, where was she? Was she hiding from him again, afraid of showing how hopelessly in love with him she was? Was she still afraid of succumbing to the strong feelings of attraction that she obviously harbored for him?

How much longer would he have to wait for her to realize that he was onto her already? No matter how much she tried to hide her true emotions, it was painfully obvious that she was really in love with him. Why couldn't she just go out and say it? If she would only be true to her feelings, the two of them would be able to live happily in love forever and ever!

Alas, no matter how much he wished otherwise, the fact remained that Lady Athan was as demure as she was beautiful. Truth be told, it was actually kinda cute. Of course, until the day came when she would finally throw herself at his feet and declare undying love for him, Mamoru would have to make do with practicing the art of love with Usagi, her friends, her enemies, and all the other females who couldn't resist the allure of the visage that gazed back at him every time he looked into a mir--

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!"

Mamoru gingerly lifted the magic seashell that had fallen on his foot and set it down on the ground beside him. He took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes as he waited for the pain to subside. Several seconds later, he was feeling much better. His foot was still hurting a bit, but luckily no one was around to see his embarrassing accident.

"You scream like a girl."

The former prince of Earth turned towards the ground in front of him, where Happosai was standing. The old goat was looking at him with an annoying 'I saw you doing something stupid' look on his face.

Mamoru grabbed Happosai by the waist and lifted the old man into the air as he spoke. "You will never speak of what you have heard to anyone for as long as you live. Or else."

"Hmmm... I didn't know you kept pets, Rei-chan. Were you giving them a bath? I don't think you dried them properly."

Michiru glanced at the two animals Rei had set down on the table in front of her. There was a small black pig and a duck wearing glasses. Both appeared to be unconscious and soaking wet.

Rei shook her head vigorously. "They're not pets. Mako-chan's idiot friends walked in on me in the bathroom so I panicked and started throwing stuff at them. For some reason, they left their clothes and these animals behind when they ran away."

"Don't call them idiots." Makoto set a tray of drinks on top of the table and looked at the animals. "I'm sure it was an accident.  
You probably left the door unlocked or something."

"Don't try to make it sound like it was my fault," Rei replied.  
"Usagi was the one who left the door unlocked when she left."

"I didn't know the two of you took showers together." Haruka grinned as she stared at Rei.

"We don't." Rei glared at the older girl. "Usagi was just expressing some concerns she had about the Tendos uncovering our secret identities."

"Concerns? I assumed that you would make an appearance as Rei Hino before attending the meeting as Sailor Mars." Setsuna took a sip from her glass after speaking.

"Yeah. That's what I told Usagi. She left afterwards. Nothing else happened. You can ask her yourself, when she gets here."

"The duck looks creepy with those glasses." Hotaru scowled as she looked at Mousse's transformed body.

Minako glanced at the duck. "Really? It just looks kinda weird to me."

"I wonder why Ryoga-san and Mousse-san would leave their clothes behind..." Ami frowned as she thought about the possible reasons for that curious fact. "Maybe they'd already stripped to take their baths when you saw each other?"

Rei shrugged. "I'm not sure if they'd already taken off their clothes when I saw them. Maybe. Everything happened so fast and I was kinda focused on myself at the time. You don't think they're hiding out somewhere in here naked, do you? Should we go looking for them?"

Setsuna shook her head. "I don't think it'd be a good idea to go looking for them. If they're hiding from us somewhere because they left their clothes behind accidentally, then the best course of action would be to return the clothes to the bathroom so that the two of them can retrieve them without any awkward meetings having to take place."

Haruka nodded slowly. "Well, that solves one problem, but we still don't know what to do with the animals. Why would those two leave them behind anyway? Are they supposed to be some kind of peace offering for Rei? An apology for walking in on her?"

"A peace offering?" Rei scratched her head in confusion. "What am I supposed to do with a duck and a pig?"

"I guess..." Minako paused for a moment. "You're supposed to eat them."

"Eat them? Why?" Rei shuddered at the thought of actually consuming the duck and pig.

Minako smiled, confident that she was right. "Of course! It's the only possible reason they could have had for leaving those things with you. Mako-chan, do you know any how to make any dishes with them?"

Makoto examined the two animals carefully. "Well, I can try.  
I'm not sure if I can do it, though."

The next few moments after he had threatened Happosai went by like a blur for Mamoru. He wasn't sure exactly what happened, but it mostly involved him being beaten black and blue by an old man who stood two feet tall.

"I make the threats around here, boy. Not you." Happosai glared at the fallen young man in front of him. "It's not like I was going to tell anyone about it, anyway. Your problem is nothing special.  
One of my best students is the same way. Screams like a girl... fights like a girl... dresses like a girl... I think I have a picture in here somewhere..."

Mamoru took deep breaths while he waited for his body to recover. Threatening the old man was a bad idea. He shouldn't have done that. It gave his intentions away. He should have gone for the jugular right away. He should have just attacked. He shou--

"Ah, here you go!"

Mamoru Chiba stared at the picture Happosai was holding. Could it be? Did he even dare hope? Was Lady Athan really the student of the lecherous old man standing in front of him?

Happosai started talking about his greatest martial arts pupil. This time, Mamoru paid a bit more attention to the ramblings of the old man.

"Eeeeeyouch! Mako-chan, what are you doing? Are you trying to kill me?"

"My glasses! I don't have my glasses! I can't see!"

Everyone dashed towards the source of the sound. They wound up at the kitchen, where Ryoga and Mousse were running around without their clothes on. Makoto was lying unconscious on the ground, having apparently fainted. Ryoga was covering up his nakedness with a frying pan. Mousse appeared to be looking for his glasses, oblivious to the fact that he was in his birthday suit.

Rei glared at the two men. "What did you do to Mako-chan?  
What are you even doing here? Is this where you've been hiding all this time?"

At that point, Mousse hit his head on an open cabinet door and fell unconscious onto the floor. Ryoga was left alone to explain away what had happened, a task that would prove to be difficult since the last thing he could remember was walking into Rei at the bathroom.

'Okay, I probably passed out and changed into a pig, and then for some reason Mako-chan decided to try and cook me. The same thing probably happened to Mousse. I can't just go out and say that, though.  
Makoto might think I'm some kind of a freak. I have to come up with an excuse.'

"Um... Mako-chan was trying to cook a little pig, right? And maybe a duck too?"

Ryoga held his breath as he hoped that Rei would give him something to work with.

Rei slowly nodded. "Yeah, she was trying to do something with your little peace offering. Those were supposed to be eaten, right?"

Ryoga thought for a moment before replying. "Right. Those were supposed to be our... peace offerings. They weren't any good, though.  
It turns out that they were... endangered species. Mousse and I had to run over here and let them go."

The frown on Rei's face remained as she walked over to Makoto,  
who was starting to wake up. She helped her friend get to her feet.

"Mako-chan, what happened? Did Ryoga and Mousse try to do anything to you?"

Makoto slowly spoke slowly as she came to. "I was trying to.  
cook... Sempai appeared... the animals... suddenly gone..."

The shrine's doorbell started ringing at that point. Rei turned towards Ryoga. "Okay, I believe you. That must be the Tendos.  
Wake your friend up and put some clothes on."

Rei turned towards Makoto. "You and the others should transform now. I'll bring the Tendos in."

"Welcome to the Hikawa Shrine! My name is Usagi, and I'm the shrine maiden here. Please come in, everyone. The Sailor Senshi are waiting for you inside."

Usagi smiled brightly at the newcomers, looking decidedly miko-ish with the help of her transformation pen. She was decked out in traditional miko garb, a white chihaya with a red hibakama.

"You!"

Usagi was startled by the loud cry from inside the shrine,  
where none other than Rei herself was glaring at her.

"Well, if it isn't Rei-chan!" Usagi giggled loudly and turned towards the visitors. "Rei-chan is also a shrine maiden here. I didn't know she'd be around today, though. Please excuse us for a moment."

"What are you doing?" Usagi frowned at Rei. Why was her friend ruining the very plan that she herself had come up with?

"What am I doing? What are you doing? What's up with the outfit?" Rei was still glaring at Usagi.

Usagi blinked. "But... you told me that they had to see Sailor Mars and a shrine maiden, so I figured that as the best actress in the group, I was the most qualified to play the miko."

Rei's mouth dropped open for several seconds as she processed her friend's words. "Usagi, you do realize that I am an actual, true to life, flesh and blood miko, don't you?"

Usagi nodded. "Yeah, so?"

"So I should be the shrine maiden!"

Usagi pouted. "I don't understand. Do you want me to be Sailor Mars?"

Rei shook her head in annoyance. "No! What I meant was.  
never mind. Just follow my lead."

The two girls went back to the front door, where the Tendos were still waiting.

"So sorry for making you wait. Please come inside. The senshi are waiting for you in the living room."

Rei and Usagi started walking inside, with the Tendos walking behind them.

"So, how are you two related?"

The two girls were caught off guard by Nabiki's sudden question. They scrambled to reply.

"Sisters!"

"Not related."

Rei gave Usagi a pained look, then turned back towards the Tendos. "What we meant was that we're like sisters to each other, even though we're not really related."

Nabiki nodded slowly. "Oh, I see. Do the senshi meet at this shrine a lot?"

"No."

"Yes!"

Usagi giggled loudly. "Um... that is... what I meant was..."

"What they meant was that there are times when we meet here a lot, but most of the time we don't." Setsuna smiled at Nabiki, then turned towards Rei and Usagi. "You must be very busy with your duties.  
I'll be taking them to the living room myself, unless they have any more questions."

Setsuna and Nabiki quietly stared at each other as Usagi and Rei walked away. The younger woman broke the silence first.

"You changed your dress. This one looks a bit more... demure than the one you wore before."

Setsuna's face twitched ever so slightly at the mention of her choice of wardrobe at the last battle.

"This is actually my regular uniform. I was just trying out something new when we first met."

Nabiki nodded. "I'm sure you were."

Setsuna was about to say something when a bright pillar of light appeared from out of nowhere in the middle of the hallway. The light started to grow smaller and smaller until four female figures emerged from inside of it.

Akane frowned as she stared at the figures. One of them looked extremely similar to someone she already knew, but it just couldn't be her, could it?

The answer to Akane's question came when one of her companions leapt into the air and grabbed one of the women.

"Ukyo-sama!"

"What's happening, boy? What was that light?"

Mamoru tried to concentrate on the things he was hearing from inside the Hikawa Shrine, but the nonstop yelling coming from his aged companion was making it difficult. He carefully set his magic seashell on the ground and turned towards Happosai.

"Something weird is happening. Setsuna was talking to the new arrivals and then there was a lot of shouting. Then I started hearing new voices, from people that we didn't see come into the shrine."

Happosai nodded. "Well if that's the case, we'd better use this."

Happosai then retrieved a small tape recorder from one of his pockets and turned it on before putting it near the mouth of Mamoru's magic seashell. "Now we'll have a recording of everything they say!"

Mamoru frowned. "You could have told me you had that tape recorder a little earlier and saved me a lot of trouble."

The old man laughed out loud. "Yes, I know."

"Ukyo, what's going on? What are you doing with these people?  
Why aren't the others here with us? Where's Ranma?"

Akane didn't know what to make of the situation. The three mysterious women from the last time she went to Juuban suddenly made an appearance, and Ukyo was with them! The four new arrivals quickly set about sending the Sailor Senshi and people from Nerima into separate rooms. Ukyo and the brown-haired woman went with the Tendos,  
while the dark-skinned woman and the little girl stayed with the senshi.

Akane didn't like what was happening. Was this all part of some master plan by the okonomiyaki chef to get Ranma for herself, or was it something else entirely? Who was that pretty girl with Ukyo,  
and where on Earth did she get her highlights done? More questions were going through Akane's head even as Ukyo replied to her.

"I'm not really sure if I can explain it well enough myself. I think it'd be better if Belldandy explains."

Akane turned towards Ukyo's companion, whom she recognized as the same woman who had abruptly appeared at the end of the battle from the last time she had been to Juuban. The woman noticed her attention and smiled warmly at her. Akane walked slowly towards her seat beside Ryoga and the woman began to speak.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Belldandy, and I am a goddess."

"Hmmm..."

Urd carefully scanned the faces of the senshi for traces of doubt, but none of the girls gave any indication of not believing her.  
She was pretty sure that they were all listening as she spoke, so there wasn't any chance that they hadn't heard her. Urd quickly decided that they hadn't been listening carefully enough, so she tried again.

"I'm the goddess of the past fulltime and the goddess of love part-time. I live in Asgard, which is a realm different from the one you live in. I possess fantastic powers that mortal men can only dream of."

A chorus of nods around the table was the reaction Urd got.  
She blinked several times and shook her head. It appeared that her carefully prepared demonstration of power to prove her status as goddess was going to be wasted.

"Amazing!"

Konatsu gazed in wonder at the angel that had appeared from behind Belldandy. Any doubts he might have harbored towards Belldandy's claim of godhood were instantly vanquished. Nothing this beautiful and pure could possibly have come from Earth. He reached out with one of his hands the angel's wings, but changed his mind. There was no way for him to tell how an angel might react to being touched. He had to be considerate.

"Wow! It's so soft! I've never touched anything like this before! Try it, Soun! It's even better than silk!"

"Could you try getting it to face this way, Belldandy-san? I can't get a good angle from my seat."

Ukyo's cross-dressing friend face-faulted. Genma and Soun were pawing at the beautiful angel's wings, and Nabiki was busy taking pictures of it. Finally, after a few more seconds, Belldandy waved one of her hands in the air and the angel vanished.

Belldandy smiled at people seated around the table. "Okay. Now that we've finished with that, I'm going to start with the true purpose of this meeting."

"As you all know, the individual known as Ranma Saotome has recently been kidnapped. What some of you are not aware of is that he was abducted by an individual named M. Bison."

At that point, Urd gave a signal to Skuld, who pressed a small button on the small projector she had placed on a table in the middle of the room. It started displaying a large photo of Bison on one of the walls.

Urd continued. "Bison is the leader of a large terrorist organization called Shadaloo, and he is currently trying to amass an army of sufficient strength and numbers to take over the entire world."

"So you want us to take on a whole terrorist organization for you? Is that it?" Soun glanced at his daughters, unwilling to allow their participation in such a dangerous mission.

"Not at all." Belldandy addressed all the people in the room as she spoke. "Our mission is simply to retrieve Ranma from Bison. No more and no less."

Ukyo pressed another button on the projector and the display behind Belldandy changed. Bison's picture slowly disappeared, replaced by a logo that read 'Street Fighter'.

"There is an underground tournament called Street Fighter that is held every year. It is joined by some of the best warriors in the world. We anticipate that Bison will join the tournament in an effort to find further recruits for his forces. He will probably bring Ranma along with him. Our job will be to join the tournament as well and get Ranma back."

Usagi spoke up at that point. "Wait a minute! I'm not going to hand Ranma over to you!"

Urd shook her head. "You don't understand. Asgard has no interest in getting custody of Ranma. You only need to retrieve him from Bison. What you do with him afterwards is entirely up to you."

Several seconds of silence followed. Rei was the first to speak. "You're a goddess, right? Why can't you just do it yourself?  
Why do you need our help?"

Urd sighed. "Unfortunately, there are certain factors that make direct intervention from Asgard a bad idea. It would be better if Asgard's involvement in this is kept minimal."

Akane shook her head. "I still don't buy it. How can we be sure that you're even telling the truth? How do I know you really are a goddess? This smells very fishy to me. Why are you so interested in Ranma anyway?"

"That's right!" Ryoga pounded his fist on the table as he spoke. He didn't really know what to make of what he'd just heard, but he was firmly on Akane's side, whichever side that may be.

Belldandy waited for the commotion caused by Akane and Ryoga's words to die down before replying. "Your misgivings are understandable.  
Before I can answer your questions, however, you must understand that gods are not all-powerful. We simply have direct access to Yggdrasil."

Rose frowned. "Yggdrasil? The world tree? Isn't it supposed to shelter the world or something?"

Belldandy nodded towards Rose. "That is not entirely wrong, but it is an inaccurate oversimplification of how the system works. The world tree is the fabric of reality itself. It contains every shred of information that makes the universe what it is. I know that it sounds confusing. Perhaps it would be better to just show it to you."

The goddess of the present placed a laptop on the table in front of her and turned it around to face the others before flipping it open.

"This is Yggdrasil."

Silence enveloped the room. Even Skuld has a confused look on her face. Makoto was the first to find her voice again.

"It looks just like... the matrix."

Urd frowned and turned the laptop around so that it faced her again. A familiar screen of green katakana characters falling in front of a black background greeted her. She smiled and turned the laptop around again.

"I'm sorry. That was actually a screensaver." Urd fiddled with the laptop's mouse and the screen disappeared, revealing what looked like a standard computer desktop. "This is Yggdrasil."

"It just looks like a normal laptop to me," remarked Akane.  
"I don't see anything special about it."

Belldandy answered Akane's question quickly. "Yggdrasil comes in many forms, and indeed can theoretically manifest itself in any form. I chose this one because it's probably the easiest for you to understand."

Nabiki was the first to speak this time. "Assuming we believe you and that all you've said is true, why are you interested in helping us and why should we be interested in helping you?"

Belldandy brightened considerably at this point. "Asgard is offering very generous rewards for all of you in exchange for the successful completion of the mission. Ms. Rose will be given increased power which can be used in her battle against Bison. The Tendos will have their existence recognized and their status as illegal life-forms will be revoked."

"So what are these?"

Setsuna and the other senshi looked closely at the small cards given to them by Urd. They were very small, grey rectangles that had no remarkable features outside of a large black strip going across the bottom half of one side.

Urd grinned as she took one of the cards and held it up for all to see. "These are temporary magic licenses. They will allow you to use your powers without adding to the long list of 'illegal use of magic' offenses in your files. If you do your jobs well, Asgard will make those permanent and erase all of your previous offenses, saving you from a future involving hellfire and brimstone."

That statement caused the participants of the meeting to fall into an uproar. Everyone started talking at once, and it was all but impossible to understand most of what was said. Finally, Urd raised her hand to silence the room. She pointed towards Michiru.

"You go first."

Michiru spoke calmly, but her annoyance was betrayed by the expression on her face. "Might I enquire as to what an 'illegal use of magic' offense is?"

"Yes, of course." Urd signaled for Skuld to press another button on the projector and the display on the wall changed to match the one on the laptop where Yggdrasil was running.

"As I said before, Yggdrasil is the very fabric of reality itself. It contains the information of the universe. In some ways, it is the universe. For example..."

Urd pressed a few keys on the laptop, and a three-dimensional image of Minako appeared on the screen.

"I've just opened Yggdrasil's file on Minako Aino. It has every last shred of information that makes her what she is. Information about her personality, her mental state, her physical attributes, as well as anything else that defines her existence is stored in it. Everything that exists in the universe has its own Yggdrasil file."

Haruka raised an eyebrow at Urd. "This is very educational,  
but I don't see what it has to do with magic, if anything."

Urd nodded. "I shall get to that in a second."

Skuld pressed a few more buttons, and the image of Minako grew smaller and was moved to a corner of the screen. A window appeared below the image containing rows of text with colorful horizontal bars arranged next to them.

"This is a graph of Minako's major physical characteristics.  
It is a graphical representation of the level of her strength, speed,  
agility, and other physical attributes. Her values are well within the normal range for adolescent girls."

Urd turned towards Minako. "Ms. Aino, please transform into Sailor Venus."

Minako reluctantly raised her transformation pen into the air.

"Venus power, make up!"

After an extremely long but well-choreographed transformation sequence, Sailor Venus appeared where Minako Aino once was. Minako's image and graph on the display started to pixelate. The picture started to flicker for several moments, then stabilized to show the image of Sailor Venus.

The goddess of the past resumed speaking. "Whenever anyone uses magic, he or she is directly accessing Yggdrasil and using magical techniques to affect changes. You could say that Ms. Aino used her transformation pen to hack into the system and turn herself from a bubbly blonde girl into the popular heroine known as Sailor Venus. As you can see, her physical statistics have been drastically upgraded,  
her major physical abilities have greatly increased, and the size of her bust has significantly improved. This kind of unauthorized access is illegal."

Sailor Venus blushed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What's so bad about using magic anyway? You're a goddess, so you must use magic all the time!"

Urd nodded at her. "I'm glad you asked that, actually. Ms.  
Aino, please pull the black strip off your license."

Minako followed Urd's instructions. After peeling off the black strip on her license, she was left with a dull grey card.

Urd nodded in approval. "Now please transform back to your normal form. Everyone, please pay attention to the image on the screen."

One beautiful transformation sequence later and Sailor Venus was gone. This time, there was no flickering on the screen whatsoever.  
The image transformed smoothly from Sailor Venus into Minako Aino.

Urd resumed speaking. "While it is true gods use the power of Yggdrasil all the time, that is different from your use of magic. We only access Yggdrasil through authorized terminals like the one I have here. Our access is not direct, and the changes we make are instantly harmonized with the rest of the system."

Michiru raised an eyebrow. "Harmonized?"

Skuld nodded and walked towards the front of the room. "Yes,  
harmonized. By having the proper safety measures in place, we ensure that any changes we make do not conflict with anything in the system.  
The flickering you saw before was due to the formation of... this!"

At that, Skuld pulled a large mallet out from behind her and slammed it onto the table. A small, white, spider-like creature slowly appeared trapped beneath it. With the exception of Urd and Skuld, all the people around the table all gawked at the mysterious life-form.

Skuld grabbed the creature in one of her hands and raised it for all to see.

"Whenever Yggdrasil detects any conflicts in the system, it resolves the conflict through a crude process which fixes the problem,  
but produces byproducts like the one I have in my hand. We call them bugs, and it costs Asgard thousands of man-hours every year to keep them under control. Illegal use of magic is the biggest catalyst of bug formation, accounting for more than sixty percent of all bugs created. In the case of the transformational magic you usually perform, bugs are formed twice. Once when you transform to your senshi guises,  
and again when you turn back to normal that means your magic is twice as bad."

Usagi looked like she was going to burst into tears at any minute. "You mean we're going to hell for using magic?"

Urd grinned at her. "Not if you do the mission right. Your magic licenses grant you the authority to access Yggdrasil. They tell Yggdrasil that you are registered magic users, and automatically run the programs needed to ensure that your magic produces no bugs. They expire after the mission is finished, but you'll be given permanent ones if the result is a success."

"Just what do you mean by 'illegal life-forms'?" Nabiki glared at Belldandy as best as she could.

Belldandy sighed. It was always awkward to have to be the one to break this kind of news to anyone.

"I'm very sorry to inform you of this, but you and Akane are not registered with Yggdrasil. The two of you exist outside the system. After you die, your souls will have to fill out hundreds of thousands of registration forms in triplicate before they can rest in peace, if at all. I sympathize with your situation. It's not even really your fault that you aren't registered, but that's just how it is."

Akane slammed her fist on the table. "If it's not our fault,  
then whose fault is it?"

Kasumi slowly stood up and walked towards the front, where she stood beside Belldandy.

"It's ours."

Tickling each other, of course.

Author's Rant:

And so we come to the end of the latest chapter in A Time for Wild Horses. It took a while to finish, and the blame for this fact rests solely on the shoulders of one person:

Warpwizard!

We had a deal! I was supposed to have a chapter of SaR:IL for my efforts! And instead of Shinji/Rei goodness I get a piece of crap other fic instead (where "piece of crap" is defined as any fic that does not contain lemony Shinji/Rei goodness).

I was devastated.

I spent the entire night crying into my pillow, but the next morning my pillow was all soggy and gross so I spent the next few nights crying into my sister's pillow. I also wailed and screamed at the moon a lot. While naked. Or thinking of naked chicks. It was one of those, I'm pretty sure.

The neighbors thought it was really cool and started leaving me offerings of fruit and grain at my doorstep. I thought that was really freaky so I stopped.

Not as freaky as Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, of course, but really freaky nonetheless.

If anyone knows of any good, quality Shinji/Rei fanfics out there (lemon or otherwise, I dun really care) please drop me a line.  
I need my fix, and I need it fast.

I loved Sin City. I'd give an arm to have a Jessica Alba of my very own, but I don't think she'd like an armless fanfic writer so I'll not be sawing it off any time soon. Lindsay Lohan used to be cute, but now she looks way too skinny and blonde to be attractive. Ugh. Ashlee Simpson used to be a hot girl, but her new, darker hair is just not doing it for her. I hate it.

I feel that nothing would be cooler to do than to jump up and down on Oprah's couch. We should all try that at least once.

Oh, was I supposed to be talking about fanfics? I must have missed my meds this morning. Except it is morning, so I must have missed them last night. Shinji and Rei, that is. I've been missing them a lot. Warpwizard, get to writing!

Anyway, there wasn't really any single reason for the delay. A whole host of things conspired to make me late.

I started work on a Full Metal Panic fic (which I have yet to finish). It's pretty much mapped out and I've written some of the scenes, but it's missing something. I have no idea what that something is, but when I do I'll put it in and we'll have a new FMP fic on our hands.

I also rewrote the chapter a number of times because I didn't like how I wrote it the first time around, then Shade gave me some really good suggestions on how to make the chapter better. In the end,  
I had to bump off a large chunk of material to the next chapter. That means that this chapter contains fewer plot points, but more laughs.

It also means that part of the work for the next chapter is already done, so yay! It seems like things will only be getting better.  
It's true. Unbelievable as it may sound, I actually do care about the quality of the chapters I put out.

Don't expect me to go back to the breakneck pace of releases that I started with, though. I kinda like this slower pace better. You wait a bit longer and get a better chapter as a result.

So let's talk about me. I'm the coolest guy on the planet and none shall dare oppose me. You must defeat my Dragon Punch to stand a chance.

(awkward silence)

Okay, so let's not talk about me. Let's talk about anime. I've been watching Basilisk and all of the dying is getting on my nerves. I seem to see one character dying every episode, and it's getting really boring at this point. The art is really cool, though, so I'll prolly watch it till the story concludes. It's much better than the adventures of Kenshin Himura anyway.

RK is growing old to me in the same way that DBZ is. I used to think it was so cool, but now I think it's one of the crappiest animes I've ever watched. I can at least see that Dragonball was teh good in its time, but I'm starting to doubt if Kenshin and his friends were ever up to snuff.

Ichigo 100 is now officially the manga that never ends. It should have ended many chapters ago, but they keep adding more and more girls and it's getting really repetitive. Manaka should just pick one girl and be done with it. I vote for Satsuki or Nishino, with Aya a very close third. Actually, now that I think of it, I like Nishino a bit more than Satsuki. I've always thought that she was very nice.

Bleach is as cool as ever, Naruto is on a filler arc, and Z0MG tEh nE9im m4\GA is hawt. Go Nodoka! It's pretty weird with the whole martial arts tournament thingy though. I have no idea where the story is going, exactly.

As everyone knows, I've been an avid player of Magic for many years. I'm all geeky like that. Anyway, I've recently started playing VS System, and it rocks! I've been working on a Spider Friends/Teen Titans deck that's really good. It beats curve decks consistently,  
anyway. Nothing like team-attacking with Spidey then busting out a Teen Titans Go!

I'll be trying out Spider Friends/Avengers when the new set comes out, and will probably be using it until I can get a pair of Garths.

Finally, I would like to thank Chester, Shade, Beege, Helmut Steeg, Gordon and David Andersson for all the help they gave me for this chapter.

Please send C&C to my homepage (http/members. for new chapters. 


End file.
